Introduction to Content Marketing Strategy
Companies are turning to content marketing strategy and reaping its benefits due to increased costs in mass media marketing, growing competition, and economic trends. Content marketing is cost-effective and accessible through various media channels such as newspapers, magazines, websites, emails, social media, blogging, and guest columns. With widespread internet access, people commonly search for information using search engines like Google, making content marketing a preferred choice for marketers.
9 Best Content Marketing Examples
The most common media to reach your audience is your website. Here are some steps to optimize the website for better content results.
1. Create a Good Website
People ‘Google’ for information and land up possibly on your website, and the first impression is always the best. The trend is now towards minimalistic design with main content on top and center with advertisements or promotions in sidebars. The lesser the clutter on the home page, and the clear classification of sections, the better. A good website design is as important as good content quality.
2. Redesign Content Every 2-5 Years
Outdated websites can struggle to accommodate changing content and may appear stale. Redesigning a website can be costly, resulting in a gap between content quality, consumer perception, and the overall brand. Websites should be mobile-friendly with minimalistic design and vertical scrolling to adapt to the rise of smartphones.
3. Content Backup
The worst thing to happen is a site crash. Ensure the safety of your content by directing the web host to periodically back up the content or by using cost-effective plugins like BackupBuddy to copy all created content. Store the content in a drive, external drive, or cloud, and divide it into databases and static files. Databases contain pages, comments, posts, data, and so on.
4. Create Compelling Content
When developing a content marketing strategy, focus on creating content appealing to the audience and providing useful information on product usage, performance improvement tips, safety, and related issues, rather than solely focusing on brands or products. It is better to keep in mind the CURVE formula while creating content, according to Scott Sims, co-founder of Buzzlogix. CURVE stands for curiosity, urgency, relevance, value, and emotion.
5. Create Buyer Personas
Companies often have good products or services but no idea of the target audience and what information they require. Creating buyer personas, or fictional representations of target buyers, can benefit effective marketing strategies. Without knowing the audience, creating the content they want is impossible.
This enables them to understand their worldview and develop better products and services. It allows you to find where prospective customers spend time and help promote the content through the right marketing channels.
6. Understand Their Needs and Requirements
It is important to understand the prospective customer’s pain points (problems faced or requirements) and address them in the content. Newspapers and magazines have columns to address certain issues that readers face, and they could be a good starting point for understanding the problems consumers face. Quora.com is where professionals post questions regarding various topics and get answers from people who wish to discuss them. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus can also be ideal platforms to launch questions regarding issues your customers face. Qeryz is a software that helps to set up mini-interviews and put them on the website or blog.
7. Understand Popular Topics That are Read and Shared
If your business is real estate, identify the keywords you have ideas to write upon and submit to BuzzSumo. The list of top articles that were read, shared, and commented on indicates that people are interested in these topics, suggesting that they may be receptive to better articles or a fresh perspective. Creating compelling content using the CURVE formula can help capitalize on top trending topics in your product or brand domain.
8. Use the Website for Good Customer Service
The website should provide a forum for customers to interact and share their views, with space to write suggestions or report problems. It should also include contact information such as a toll-free number, customer service email, addresses of service centers, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). The content should be utilized to engage and maintain communication with existing customers and attract potential new consumers. Existing customers are potential prospects for repeat purchases, and the website and blogs should serve as platforms for sharing views about the product and brand.
9. Create Premium Content that Can be Sold
Free content can attract new consumers, while existing customers may be interested in subscribing for quality content that compensates writers with a subscription fee.
3 Ways to Improve Content Marketing Strategy Through Blogs
Given below are the 3 ways to improve content marketing strategy through blogs:
1. Blogs are a Better Way to Reach a Wider Audience
Blogs do not have a rigid format as a newspaper article or a column on the web. It allows the writer to express his or her thoughts, views, and opinions and invite readers’ comments. It could be related to using a particular application with free software against licensed ones. If your company is developing the application on an open-source platform, it makes sense to write about the benefits of open-source technology. Blogs also rank better in search engines. A separate blog section can be created on the website itself, or the free platforms provided by blogger.com, Tumblr, and wordpress.com can be used to create content and share it on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin platforms for better reach.
2. Use Images and Infographics for Better Readability
It would always be better to have images and infographics to supplement an article as it can enhance the quality and understanding of the discussed topic. Additionally, with the help of AI art generators, you can create attractive graphics and give your content a modern touch.
The article’s length also plays a crucial role in receiving better rankings from search engines. Research indicates that articles with 2000-3000 words are more likely to get on top in search results.
3. Guest Blogging
Apart from your own websites and blogs, you can also be a guest blogger on other websites that give content related to your product or industry. For Content Marketing Examples, if your product is a bio-fertilizer, the blog could be on how recent advances in bio-fertilizers have increased yield for certain vegetables. For people to search for products related to what you are writing about, it is not required that your brand should be mentioned. However, you could qualify yourself as a representative of a bio-fertilizers company.
Email & SMS Marketing
An email has become the most preferred communication medium for most of us as it enables instantaneous delivery of messages anywhere in the world. However, businesses now have targeted emails from customers to inform them about their new products and offers and to get new business. However, to not end up in a spam folder or trash, care should be taken to send it through an approved email application for bulk messaging.
Emails are more likely to be open on weekends and holidays. A compelling headline, well-written and edited content relevant to the receiver, and Call-to-Action buttons should be at the end of the mail – it could download a whitepaper, Apply, Register, Accept the invite, and so on.
Social Media Content
With the number of users in social media rising day by day and predictions about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, becoming a medium in itself, content marketers need to actively concentrate on what they publish on social media, and it is not about sharing good articles from your blog, website or other news sites alone. A concise description of a product launch, company event, or emerging technology. Still, they can all be briefly posted or announced on social media, and more updates can be given based on likes and shares.
On Facebook, prominence should be given to posts with a visual appeal where images count more than words. It is better to have original pictures or stock images that have been paid for rather than copied from some other sites. For media, technology, and service industries, it may be better to use Twitter, while for corporate image building, Linkedin serves better.
Conclusion
Content marketing strategy is cost-effective and crucial for better ROI. Quality content matters more than quantity due to changes in Google algorithms. Emphasis on the depth of coverage and SEO can lead to success. Example: Hootsuite’s Game of Social Thrones Video, featured in Time, Fast Company, and AdAge, viewed nearly a million times, their most successful content using creativity and SEO.
Content marketing ROI should not rely solely on sales conversions but also consider other metrics like brand awareness, email signups, social presence, brand-advocate input, and website exposure. Creating content that focuses on ROI metrics can differentiate a company from competitors. Comprehensive measurement of content marketing success is important as readers seek beyond sales messaging. Example: Micah Pratt at Obrella.com suggests a broader approach to measuring content impact.
Content marketing is a long-term process that requires consistent effort and patience. Results are not expected overnight but through sustained efforts in creating quality content, engaging with customers, investing in SEO, and promoting content on social media. A robust CMS and collaboration with developers are important. A holistic and patient approach to content marketing can yield returns in the long run. Example: Micah Pratt highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to content management.
Content marketing has evolved beyond just keywords, with changing search engine algorithms and the growing importance of social media. Factors such as relevance, importance, and urgency to readers now play a crucial role in the popularity of content. Building rapport with influencers and product reviewers can benefit industries like automobiles, mobiles, films, real estate, etc. Content that combines quality with style, design, aesthetics, and relevance can yield encouraging results. Example: Content is king, but supplementing it with style, relevance, and good design can enhance its impact.
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