Last year online marketers saw a significant increase in money spent on content marketing or brand journalism. Predictions are that we’ll continue to see an increase during 2014. Executed strategically, content marketing drives leads and increases sales.
Think about the way you shop for or research products online. Are you more likely to purchase from a company that has updated and informative content available online, or a company with an outdated online presence?
Chances are, you’re going to go with the provider who offers the most recent and relevant information to help you make a purchase. And if that company cranks out informative content that’s helpful to you on a regular basis, you’re more likely to buy from them again.
But be careful, content marketing isn’t just about giving your audience written content that highlights your products. Good content should be well-packaged, visually engaging, valuable information geared toward your audience, even when there isn’t a direct tie to your product.
For example, if you had a site that sold digital cameras and accessories, you could blog about how to get the right lighting in photographs. That content may not be directly related to what you sell, but it is relevant to the consumer who would purchase products from you.
If content marketing hasn’t been part of your marketing mix, here are three easy ways to start creating online content:
1. Set up a blog and publish a post a few times a week
Blogs are not just the best platform to release longer, information-rich content to your prospects and customers, they also offer an opportunity for you to boost your search engine rankings. When you write a blog post, incorporate a few keywords into your posts.
For more information about blogging for SEO, click here.
2. Create video
Whether you use a social app like Vine or Instagram, or you create polished videos and upload them to your website, video is one of the most effective marketing tools. If you have the resources, you should create, post and share video on a regular basis.
3. White papers
A white paper is a report or guide to help your readers understand a specific issue, or learn a specific skill. For instance, Alexander’s offers white papers with tips on how to make print most effective in small business marketing. You can and should, create white papers for your online followers to download.
A great example of white paper downloads comes from the HubSpot marketing blog. In exchange for entering in your contact information, you can download white papers with all sorts of marketing, design and social media tips.
If you or your business would like help with content marketing, please let us know.
