Content Marketing – Why, What and How?

What is Content Marketing?

Most people associate content marketing with online digital publishing. Its actual history, however, goes back more than 100 years. It is possible to produce content assets for any medium, both digital and traditional.

Content Marketing is a form of business marketing. It involves the creation and publishing of relevant, interesting and consistent content. The content created can be distributed across almost any publishing channel or platform.

Effective content can be produced for a wide variety of mediums. The choice of medium will depend upon the individual requirements of each business. It is best to consider this with the development of a content strategy.

Types of medium can include;

• Long-form writing content for blog posts, articles and general editorial copy. Short-form written content for social media posts and Q&As.
• Photography increases visibility and understanding of written content. Alternatively, it can just be powerful images that draw attention.
• Videography and film can be a compelling method of getting your point across. Video is great for showing services or products in action.
• Infographics for when you want complex data to be more easily viewed and understood.
• Audio opens marketing opportunities for a non-visual approach. Can be very effective in the right circumstances.

The purpose of content marketing is to promote interest in a business’s products or services. Whilst it can help in promoting a brand, it does not necessarily do so directly.

What benefits can be gained from content marketing?

A strategic approach will gain you the most benefits. Know what your business goals are, both long-term and short-term. Know your target audiences.

Having a clear content marketing strategy can lead to;

• Greater consumer awareness of products and services.
• Increased volume of enquiries and sales.
• A higher level of return on campaign expenditure.
• More loyal customers.
• Faster turnaround on unexpected opportunities.

All these depend upon delivering content that consumers want to view. Customers want content that benefits them in some way. When you deliver a high quality of content your customers will want to share it. This, in turn, increases your reach and readership.

So how do you do this?

Creating great content

The production of valuable content is central to most marketing strategies. Great content is the foundation upon which effective marketing campaigns rely.

For example;

• Social Media Marketing is the publishing end of content creation. It is dependent on a consistent stream of good content being made available to consumers.
• Inbound Marketing focusses on great content delivering leads, enquiries and traffic.
• Search Engine Optimisation. Search results inevitably depend upon the quality of content on the pages displayed.
• Public Relations. Media releases need good content to support a story that consumers will find interesting.
• Website content. Both website pages and blog posts need decent content to fill them. This is not only to engage with and convert site visitors but to perform well in search results.
• Repurposed Content. Content produced for one particular use can often be easily repurposed for both online and offline use. Annual reports, advertising

Consider your business and marketing goals. Look at what platforms and mediums would be most effective in promoting your business. Once you have done this, consider your working budget.

Your available budget will need to be split between content creation and content publishing. From these, you can build a strategic marketing plan that will make the most of your existing funds.

Creating great content doesn’t need to be expensive, though sometimes you may want to splurge a little. The important factor is not the cost, but how profitable the results are.

Pay attention to the stories that are happening around you every day. Listen to your customers and hear what interests them.

Produce photography and video in order to create impact or leverage specific publishing platforms. While original photography is best, the careful use of stock images can help blog posts and social media.

Where should you publish

There are a host of platforms where you can publish your content.

• Social media such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and many more.
• Blog sites such as Tumblr, Linkedin, Reddit or Medium.
• Email marketing. Still very effective.
• Website. Your best content should be readily available on your own website.
• Offline editorial. Print magazines and media still have a great readership for the right audience.

There are of course many more possibilities for publishing your content of course. You can investigate these during the development of your content strategy plan. The aim is to make the most of your budget. Choose platforms that speak directly to the type of audience you want to attract. In addition, this is how you will get the best returns.

Learn more and Get in touch

Please contact us to learn more about content marketing or if you would like assistance with your marketing strategy. We are here to help.