Introduction
Whenever you want to buy something, you are going to search and then make your decision and that is what Content marketing is all about. It is strategically placed in the form of blogs, e-mail marketing, ebooks, ad copies, videos, and landing pages.However, I will give a clear picture of what content marketing can do and what is important.
But first of all, you need to know the basics
What is content marketing?
It is a strategic approach to create and share relevant content to engage the audience with the goal of driving profitable customer action. You have seen so many ad copies which you read and got impressed from it and then you click the button which redirects you to a landing page where all the game starts. These include blog posts, ad copies, E-mail marketing, and infographics, etc.So that’s why content marketing has become important and it is very different from other traditional writing.
Still not able to understand What is content marketing?
Let’s understand more about this
Prerequisites of Content Marketing
Things you should know while doing content marketing otherwise your efforts will go in vain.1. Audience understanding
Before making any strategy about what you have to write, You should know for whom you’re writing, to and who is your audience that gives you the best results. Many marketers make this mistake by just randomly writing and anticipating good results but that’s not going to happen for sure.You can find your audience through your competitors, conducting surveys or making buying personas.
2. Content Strategy
Once you know your strategy, then the next step is how you make your content strategy. In short, where it will be distributed, which metrics will give you the best results and content type? You need to organise this in a strategic matter and also you need to monitor things regularly because trends and algorithms keep on changing.3. Quality content creation
Quality never betrays you, but the quantity which is in poor quality can. As a marketer you should focus on giving quality content to your audience otherwise there are so many options available for them, so they can move to others which is better than you. So if you want to stay in for long-term then you need to maintain your quality which caters to engaging and informative.4. Distribution
Distribution plays an important part. Companies objective is somewhat you need to decide where your content piece will be suitable for that platform. For example if your business deals in B2B then you can use LinkedIn, email marketing or blogs.However, if your business is related to B2C then you can use Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and use your ad copies in meta ads, additionally, you can also blogs, ebooks, etc.
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5. Measurement and analysis
One thing you need to do regularly is that you need to track the performance of content and see what are the content gaps as compared to competitors so that you can improve and fill the gap.Hope you all are there with me and you begin to understand.
Importance of Content Marketing
1. Building brand awareness
Just imagine in real life. You have been encouraged with so much content related to a particular product and then suddenly you buy the product. Is it true? In most of the times yes its true.Content marketing is all about helping you in awareness about brand building. By constantly posting online about your brand, the audience used to and once they use your product, if they liked it, then they will spread a good word of mouth.
2. Establishing authority and trust
The more your brand is visible with high-quality posts which is customer-generated content, the more the audience will trust in your brand which ultimately builds the authority. Right so? It also allows the business to share their expertise and knowledge which also impresses the audience to take desirable action.3. Driving organic traffic
SEO and Content marketing are very much interlinked to each other. SEO is to help in getting enhancement of a website’s online visibility with good quality content. Content marketing is in the form of blogs, posts and articles that target an audience and drive organic traffic through keywords which can attract potential customers searching query for products and services.4. Generating leads and conversions
Content marketing is a game changer because it attracts so many leads and conversions for the business. You have so many small companies with a small budget, expanding their business with the help of this. They strategically use this in their planning in the form of videos, blogs and posts.Also, e-commerce businesses have started to grow their business with the help of videos and ad copy content. If the ad copy and video of the product are good then there is a great chance that the conversion can be made.
5. Enhancing customer engagement
Regular posting content can change the mind of the customer, they will be more engaged to your product which will create repeat business. Make posts related to giveaways, shareable, tag a friend, etc.These kinds of posts are trending and they bar lots of engagement and business because you can leverage e-mail marketing strategy by taking their mail IDs with a lead magnet of some tips and tricks.
6. Will cost you less than traditional marketing
This statement is true because traditional marketing doesn’t include the target audience, why I’m saying this because whenever you see an advertisement on television, this advertisement is not for all.For example: You saw an advertisement for a baby product, but you’re unmarried so you won’t be interested in this the advertiser has already paid for your view so the money spent on you is wasted whereas in content marketing you can decide your target audience and only those can see your ads so that it costs lesser than traditional marketing.
7. Consumers more interested in content than ads
Before purchasing any product, you will be more interested in the content, you will see the features, testimonials, usage and how it will solve your problem through content. Am I right?You won’t be convinced by a salesperson. Initially you do your research and see the prices and stuff often then you decide to take action.
So in increasing the conversion rate, content marketing is always in demand.
8. Providing value to customers
People become knowledgeable about the product because of the content available in the market. You can easily demonstrate your product through social media platforms because there are few users are there who prefer online shopping.Furthermore, Now coaches are selling their courses online rather than offline where they need to hustle more so that’s the beauty of this marketing.
9. Enhancing customer experience
Many coaches before selling the courses provide free resources on their social media platforms where they can get their solutions to daily-related problems related to their niche.For example: Many digital marketers add videos related to Facebook ads on YouTube which is free. This is done to increase customer experience and customer value. So once they get engaged with their videos, you can target them to buy your course. So that is how content marketing works.
10. Helps in facing competition
You need to mind that your competitors are using content marketing in their strategy and if you’re not using this then you’re missing a golden opportunity to tap into the market. Because they will have more online visibility, more conversions/leads, more traffic, more loyal customers, etc. If you’re using this then you’re in the right direction and your good times will be there for the long term if you stay consistent.Types of content marketing
1. Blogging
For content, you can use blogging for marketing. It is a long writing format content. Blogs are created because users' search queries are there. The main thing you need to keep in mind is that when you write blogs they must be engaging, problem-solving and informative which brings organic traffic to the website. You also need to target keywords that cater to give solutions to the users.2. Social media posts
Another famous platform for content marketing type is Social media posts. It has become really popular these days. Its access is easy as even every small business uses this content type. The demand for Social media marketers is very high and their salaries are also competitive which shows that it's not only in demand but also gives good results. You can share your content on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok.It enhances visibility and engagement which ensures customer satisfaction.
3. Videos
Many creators and business professionals use Video content for marketing. You can also use Video content because it is not only appealing to the eye but also drives good results. Because some users have less time so if your thumbnail is catchy then they will click which ensures good CTR and high traffic/views through the content.Many businesses run video ads and they drive sales out of it. And on YouTube, you get paid from the platform for views so try to make content which is of high quality and value to the customers.
4. Infographics
Infographics are very underrated content and many markets don’t use this content often. But if you use this content properly then you can build a strong authority because it is shareable content in the blogs. You can put your knowledge through visual representation.5. eBooks
eBooks are in PDF format which is related to some specific topic which is in-depth.The most used content these days by business professionals and influencers is social media. You can sell eBooks in the form of digital products and earn huge amounts of bucks also you can use this as a lead magnet and pick up the mail IDs who are going to sign up with your product and later on, you can follow the customer journey through email marketing.
6. Webinars
Webinars is need of the hours, especially after COVID-19, when all the work is shifted to work from home. I have seen many professionals use the Webinar marketing method where they conduct the webinar for free and show their brand benefits and how it can solve the people's problem and in between they try to upsell and earn a good amount of money because it gives value to the customer.7. Podcasts
Podcasts are very trending these days, It’s available in the form of audio and videos. What you can do is you can build a community with your knowledge. Some creators also invite industry experts and many audiences are there to watch the videos and listen to audios. It is available on YouTube, iTunes Spotify, etc.8. Email newsletters
Once you get the email list of your subscribers then you can inform your audience about the daily updates about product information, company updates and the latest announcements. It’s a good marketing strategy because it not only nurtures the existing lead but also helps in maintaining a good relationship with existing customerFAQs
How do I identify my target audience?
You can do surveys, create buying personas, social media insights and customer feedback, with the help of these you can target your audience and then you can make your strategy according to it.How do I perform keyword research for Content marketing?
You can use software like SEMrush, keyword planner, Ubersuggest, and Ahrefs to identify suitable keywords for your audience. You need to analyze the competition and the users' searching per month.Why is content marketing research important?
Content marketing research is important because it helps marketers in many ways find targeting customers, outperform competitors, stay in industry trends, online visibility, more conversions, leads and traffic.How is content marketing different from content writing?
Content writing is focused on writing words whereas content marketing is in the form of videos and writing and its main purpose is to convince the audience to take desirable action.What are the 5Cs of content marketing?
Content marketing is just not about writing and posting content randomly, it requires strategic planning and involves 5cs of marketing which are calibrated, created, curated, circulated and converted.Conclusion
In conclusion, I have mentioned all the strategies, types and why content marketing is important. Ignoring content marketing will cost you a big thing, so here you need to go with the trend and see what your competitors are doing to increase their engagement, online visibility and customer satisfaction.I hope you liked the article, keep reading all the blogs!