If you want to know how content marketing builds your business and drives organic traffic to your business, you have reached the right place. Therefore, whether it’s a product or service, this handy guide will help you understand the ways to super-charge your brand.
Definition
Content Marketing can be a slightly confusing term. So, what exactly is it? And why is it prominent to your business? Content Marketing, as defined by the Content Marketing Institute: Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
Alright, that is some heavy jargon, so let us break it down. In simple words, content marketing is an art. An art which is used to steer your target audience towards your business and to be able to turn them into loyal customers.
How do you do that? Now, a business firm has various strategies to attract customers. They may have the right pricing, the right employees and the right plan, but arguably the most important aspect revolves around a firm’s ability to market directly to their target audience.
Pitching products and services straight to an audience and creating awareness amongst them is incredibly vital. This holds true for any business, be it a large multinational, a start-up or a small to medium enterprise.
The two most common ways to attract an audience is through advertising and content marketing. “What is the difference between the 2?”, you may ask, as both are reaching an audience. Well, here are the key differences that determine the success of a business.
Advertising vs Content Marketing
The major difference lies in the audience. An advertisement is forcibly shown to an individual. It is meant to be attention-grabbing and catchy. It screams “Hey look at me! Check me out and buy me?” Advertisements undoubtedly play a great role in steering potential customers, but they simply don’t have the same effect of content marketing.
Here’s why…
- Advertising measures the attention of an individual who may not be the target audience.
- An ad is not permanent and therefore, it is a matter of a potential customer being present to see the advertisement at the right place and at the right time. What if they don’t see the ad?
- Advertising is a short-term, impermanent process. It does not improve SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) or build a strong customer rapport.
- Most people use ad-blockers or skip past ads, so the chances are that your target audience is not viewing them.
Content marketing on the other hand, focuses on tapping into precise and highly-targeted consumer bases. This is done automatically by providing customers with valuable, interesting and consistent content, which is curated specifically around their interests and needs. It’s not a 30-second advertisement or a screaming social media post. Content marketing is consistent and aims to build a strong bond between consumers and businesses.
For example, Ikea, a Swedish company which sells furniture and home appliances, regularly posts on social media platforms. On Instagram, a set of stunningly aesthetic photos make them hard to resist and builds likability. On YouTube, they have videos showing the way to assemble their furniture, product stories, and customer testimonials.
You might be reading this and thinking, “All this is fine, but how exactly does it ‘build’ a business?”
How exactly does content marketing build your business?
Before we delve into that, let’s talk about the two ways that a business gains traffic: paid traffic and organic traffic.
- Paid traffic is no biggie. Any business can achieve paid traffic…. provided they have the money. And that’s the catch.
- Organic traffic aims at steering customers towards a business naturally. And this is the forte of content marketing.
Here’s how it builds your business…
- Content marketing is long term.
In this fast-paced world where gaining an individual’s attention is tough, it is important to provide consumers with a steady dose of valuable content. In this way, as a business, you’re not forgotten.
- Increases loyalty.
When a consumer chooses to read your blogs, watch your videos and listen to your podcast, it shows they’re genuinely interested. When this happens, congratulations! You’ve built yourself a loyal customer. Now that they’re following you everywhere, and you’re in their head space, they would like to check out your products and services too.
- Promotion without being a nuisance.
Have you noticed how jarring ads can be, like when you are deeply engrossed in a YouTube or Sony TV show? Content marketing, unlike advertising, does not force itself on consumers. It only provides content to those who are interested. It is a great means of self-promotion without being annoying.
- Easier to gain new customers.
Good content is shared. If a consumer likes your content, be it on any medium, they are bound to share it with others, especially if it’s free. Before you know it, you’ve gained five new customers because one patron loved your article and posted it online.
- Caters to a highly targeted audience.
Unlike advertisements which are aimed at the masses, content marketing creates a highly segmented audience. Since such readers are deeply hooked to the content, there are higher chances of turning them into buyers.
You now know why content marketing is useful but we’re not done yet. Knowing why it’s important, is not enough. Knowing how and which medium to use for content marketing is perhaps the most significant decision out of all.
Best mediums for content marketing
Choosing a medium really depends on the type of business. Some mediums are more effective than the others. A musician may be active with podcasts but may not choose to have a blog site. However, the more mediums you use, the larger the audience, and the sales reach.
Here are 10 content marketing mediums that are excellent tools to create brand awareness and increase traffic…
- Blogs
- Social media
- Podcasts
- E-books
- Webinars
- Guides
- White pages
- Videos
- Product reviews
- Infographics
Tips on successful content marketing
Content marketing might sound tricky and at times, it can be. But that doesn’t have to be the case always. There is a method to overcome this challenge.
- Identify your target audience
Know your customers and identify their needs. What are they real interests? Why are they really visiting your blog site or YouTube channel? If it’s a fitness channel for example, are viewers more interested in weight loss or gaining muscle? Do they want to see information on nutrition or are they wanting to learn more on rest and recovery? Once this is known, it’s easy to create content that is catered to them, helping your viewership go north.
- Don’t create content that only talks about your business
If you’re creating content for the masses, give them something interesting to ponder about. While it may be related to your business, don’t talk only about your business, brand and products. For example, Nike creates content on various platforms, including YouTube and Spotify, in the form of podcasts. However, they don’t simply talk about their brands; they provide customers with content that is intriguing and involved with their brand. Their podcasts are interviews with multiple famous athletes from around the world. Their YouTube videos involve athletes taking part in various challenges. Now, that is what a consumer would rather listen to and watch, rather than only hearing about Nike’s products and how great they are. What you share is more important than just sharing something for the sake of it.
- Create original content
It’s 2020. Patience doesn’t quite exist. Nobody wants to hear the same thing repeatedly. Most ideas are already done, many times. If you really want to make your mark, create content that is fresh and true to you. Something that your audience loves and an aspect that stands out.
- Mix it up and create content on an array of platforms
For example, if you run a football coaching business; you can have:
- Videos of tips and tricks
- Interviews with individuals in the profession
- Collaborate with other soccer players and come up with cool content
- Analyse soccer games and post videos on YouTube
The idea here is to break monotony. You may post on Instagram everyday but that soon becomes outdated. Humans like change and would crave to see something different. Don’t create content without thinking about its utility. Avoid saying anything with zero real-world value.
- Engage and interact with your audience
It’s now easier than ever to communicate with the very people who follow and love what you do. You can be as big as Manchester United or you can be a small local bakery. But interacting with your customers is possible and has never been more important. If you’re a local bakery, here’s how you can engage with your consumer base…
- Respond to comments on social media, blog posts and YouTube
- If a customer suggests a recipe, maybe try it out and post about it
- With the ‘live’ feature on social media, you can cook and be present in front of a virtual audience at the same time
- Organise a cookout
- Organise challenges, post about it and give the winner a gift
These activities make customers feel special, boosting audience engagement and increasing customer loyalty.
Does content marketing really help small businesses?
Absolutely. Perhaps even more so compared to traditional advertising.
- More people are using ad-blockers
- Content marketing is the best way to create brand awareness among local consumers
- Word spreads quick and content can be shared
- Consumers can always read old blogs and watch timeless videos
- Such texts, audios and videos remain on the internet forever
- Strengthens the bond with the consumers organically
- Improvises search engine optimisation, which helps both for the immediate and long term.
Conclusion
Content marketing is a weapon for any business. And if used correctly, this weapon could be the reason consumers choose your business over rivals. No one will object to more traffic, better engagement, increased customer loyalty and better brand awareness. If you want to take your business to the next level, content marketing is one way to help you get there. It’s not tough. It just requires the right effort in the right direction. Here is where Write Wing Media can help you. Contact us to help you super-charge your online identity.