Content Marketing Tips
Learn why you’ll want to invest in content marketing strategies and some tips on how to get started.
Content marketing services is the number one way that marketers are reaching new clients and audiences, as well as staying in touch with current clients. Thanks to the ability to analyze data collected online, content marketing offers a viable, measurable way to market to target audiences. The benefits of content marketing are not restricted to data analytics either. Branded content marketing across platforms also creates strong brand identity, value identification and brand loyalty among consumers.
Let’s take a closer look at how content marketing can help your business and how to create a good content marketing strategy
What is Content Marketing?
Content Marketing is a digital content strategy that oversees the creation, management, and distribution of content in many forms including written, visual, audio, and video across platforms including social media channels, email, downloadable e-books, etc.
How to Measure Content Marketing
Data analytics (such as google’s free analytics) can help measure content marketing success and inform strategy. If a campaign isn’t generating the desired results, businesses can pivot and change quickly to achieve better results. Key performance indicators to examine via data include:
- Page Views
- Time Spent on Each Page
- Number of Visitors
- Social Media Numbers
- Bounce Rate
Page Views
This enables a site owner to see the number of page views per page. It can also infer that if a single user visits many pages of a site rapidly, he or she is likely not finding what he/she is looking for.
Time Spent Per Page
The amount of time a user spends on a page can give a lot of feedback. A quick skim of a page means a user is disinterested or unable to find what he/she is looking for on the page. On the contrary, a longer page time is more likely to translate into a conversion or at the very least demonstrates high interest.
Number of Visitors
The number of visitors gives quick feedback to how popular a site is. However, on their own these numbers aren’t particularly useful. What is more important is how the users act while on the page. Where do they go, how long do they stay, do they make a purchase, or get in touch in another way?
Social Media Numbers
Most social media platforms have built in analytics that are user friendly and can answer questions about how much and in what ways users are engaging with a post. Social media numbers should be aggregated with other numbers from a business’ website to get a real feel as to how the content marketing is working.
Bounce Rate
The bounce rate shows users who immediately leave a site. This means that they arrive and without scrolling or moving the trackpad, leave. This indicator can quickly give good information about how accessible information is on a site.
This information helps paint a picture of how content is being received. From here adjustments can be made to better reach a target audience.
Benefits of Content Marketing
Beyond the quantifiable component, let’s discuss the other benefits of investing in content marketing. Content marketing makes content regarding a topic or industry that is approachable and with which consumers can identify. Oftentimes content marketing is didactic in nature and offers free advice or help to establish expertise.
Increases Brand Awareness
Good marketing content across multiple channels creates heightened brand awareness. Consumers will see more of your brand and therefore, become more aware of its presence in the industry.
Increases Brand Loyalty
Brands that consumers can identify with because they espouse similar values or portray a lifestyle that a user aspires to increase loyalty.
Establishes Expertise
Well-written or presented explanatory content establishes expertise. If a brand can help answer users questions and help him or her in some way, this helps elevate the brand to “expert” status with the consumer. How-tos and didactic posts are highly popular.
Improves SEO
Content is what search engines use to scan websites and decipher what's on the page. This is used to help match queries with information in the most accurate way possible.
Cost Effective
While it might seem counterintuitive at first, marketing content is cost-effective. While content marketing may involve giving information away for free, this approach is productive and results in conversions. Social media accounts are free, blogs can generally be hosted inexpensively and while other methods of media may vary in cost, overall the approach of online content marketing is less expensive than other marketing tactics.
Content marketing costs roughly 62% less than traditional marketing and according to DemandMetric, generates about 3 times as many leads
Content Marketing Tips
Looking for content marketing tips to get started with your own marketing strategy?
Answer questions
Strive to connect with your audience by answering their questions and giving them information that has value to them. SEO is more and more concerned with user intent— the reason they are searching online, i.e. the problem they are trying to solve. If you can solve a problem with your content, SEO will reward this.
Publish frequently
It’s important to establish authority and consistency. Publish or post frequently to stay top of the consumer’s mind.
Find your brand’s authentic voice
One of the biggest mistakes bloggers or social media content creators do is to emulate another voice. Each brand offers unique solutions to problems and this should show in its content. Brands shouldn’t be afraid to be personal and to personalize their content marketing strategy to target specific audiences.
Be social
One of the best things about social media is that it’s SOCIAL! Sharing, liking, retweeting, etc. is all free recycled marketing.
Key Takeaways
- Content Marketing is a digital content strategy that oversees the creation, management, and distribution of content in many forms including written, visual, audio, and video across platforms including social media channels, email, downloadable e-books, etc.
- Unlike traditional marketing, the conversions and results of content marketing are measurable through data analytics. This allows for quick pivots to marketing strategies to ensure that money isn’t wasted.
- Content marketing increases brand awareness and loyalty among consumers. It also improves SEO and is cost-effective.
- Tips for content marketing that works include: Answer questions, publish frequently, find your authentic voice and be social!