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Content marketing is a must in today’s digital world. In many ways, it has replaced traditional advertising to drive sales and increase your company’s return on investment (ROI). Content creation and marketing are key to your business building a strong online presence, boosting organic search rankings, and building trust and relationships with customers new and loyal. But content creation and marketing is about more than generating revenue; it’s about building relationships with your audience through storytelling and providing value through your content.
Unlike traditional advertising methods, digital content never expires and can pay off even years after it’s published. This content can be created in-house or use a content creation agency. Regardless of the route you choose for your business, you need to maintain quality over quantity. Each piece of content should serve a purpose, whether it’s to entertain or inform, and should tie back to your overall content marketing strategy.
Delivering quality content is also crucial to performing well on search engines, which can boost ROI in the form of increased sales, more brand awareness (especially when you rank high in a consumer’s search), and a larger audience reach.
Your content needs to be high quality, but you also need to create and post consistently to see results — which may not happen overnight and require some dedication. Your content marketing strategy should include measurable goals so you can regularly review what’s working and what needs to be improved. Some measurable metrics — or key performance indicators (KPIs) — to consider include website traffic; lead generation from your website, which will increase if your content is effective; new subscribers, and, of course, sales.
Content needs to be purposeful if it’s going to be effective. You need to first understand your target audience if you’re going to create effective content for them. Learn their demographics, preferences, pain points, and interests to ensure your content provides them value. When you understand your audience, you can determine which channels are best suited to them and share content there.
Remember that consumers also want to support brands and companies they trust, and content helps build this trust. In fact, Google Cloud conducted a study that found 82% of consumers seek out brands with values that align with their own.
The quality and aesthetic of your content also need to complement your brand. Every piece should be informative, engaging, and visually appealing. Keep an eye on industry content trends, too. For example, short-form video is popular right now and, according to HubSpot, it has the highest ROI in 2023 and 90% of marketers use it. Many social media sites, like Instagram, favour short-form video in their algorithms too.
Finally, build a content calendar to keep your strategy on track. A calendar will help you have content ready to share regularly, rather than developing it on the fly. It will also ensure your team is on the same page and your audience learns when they can expect new content.
You want your content marketing to be successful, but there are a few best practices to follow if it’s going to create results.
Your audience needs to see consistently published, high-quality content. Create a realistic posting schedule to build trust and engagement among your audience.
Your content won’t be successful if no one can find it. Optimize your content to rank on search engines like Google. This will increase your reach, enhance credibility, and broaden your audience.
Avoid relying on one type of content to drive results. Build different types of content — including blogs, videos, infographics, and social media posts — to reach your audience in different ways, keep them engaged, and keep your channels interesting for followers.
Don’t forget to share content on social media, and tailor content for each platform rather than posting the same things on every account you have. This gives your audience a reason to follow you on multiple social media platforms. Instagram and Facebook are still among the most popular platforms for content marketers.
Seek out influencers who resonate with your brand and target audience. Mutually beneficial partnerships can help you reach new audiences and build more impactful content marketing. According to Hubspot, 50% of Millennials trust product recommendations from influencers. Choose influencers who have strong, authentic engagement (not fake followers and likes) and who make sense for your brand, its values, and its products.
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