These days consumers have become increasingly ad ‘blind’ to traditional marketing; given the amount of advertising bombarding people these days it is unsurprising that more of us are either skipping or ignoring many forms of marketing. So where does this leave advertisers? The answer is content marketing.
With content marketing the focus is on the creation and effective distribution of valuable, consistent and relevant content. This strategic approach works in two ways; it not only attracts target audiences (where clearly identified and defined) but more significantly it compels them to take an action. The content that marketers create should seek to either enhance or change consumer behaviour. Content marketing is a long-term strategy that should constitute an integral part of your global web marketing strategy. This is not about direct selling, it is about creating value and trust with your prospects and customers through clever communication.
If major players like Microsoft and Cisco use this strategy you can be assured it makes sense for large and small organisations alike to follow suit. The way these big corporations use content marketing is to make their buyers more informed by providing useful and relevant information as opposed to just pitching and selling products and services. So the theory is, build a reputation as a knowledgeable industry leader who puts an emphasis on keeping customers informed and in turn you are rewarded with loyalty.
Why should I use content marketing?
Content marketing may appear to be a distraction from your core marketing and selling objectives but it really does work. Consider a typical buying cycle: Awareness, Research, Consideration and Purchase. The beauty of content marketing is that your information may ignite awareness for a product or service that a consumer didn’t yet know they needed. Alternatively, they may have a need but don’t know what the solution is…until that is, they see your content. By creating awareness you’re are helping a customer move forward in the buying cycle and making an association with them as a trustworthy brand.
While traditional marketing addresses the final stages of the buying process, content marketing lays the foundations.
How can I incorporate content marketing in my marketing strategy?
Like any marketing plan worth its salt, content marketing planning should focus on four key areas: planning, execution, tracking and analytics.
These stages are crucial for success because they define your goals and objectives. Often it can help to involve a specialised content marketing company if you unsure how to execute the planning and management.
As with all marketing strategies, consistency is key. Establish your goals and as you execute the campaign ensure your messaging is clear for the duration. If you have gone to the trouble of creating strong content it follows that you will want to see what impact this has made so implement an efficient system of tracking and analytics. Look at how you can measure the impact on sales against your content marketing. Don’t forget that surveys can be a useful addition to a contact form in determining how people came across your products or services.
If you want to keep your business at the top online, there are media agencies like Opticomm who can deliver this seamlessly.
