What comes to mind when someone says “marketing?”
Intrusive cold calls?
Cheesy jingles?
Pushy salespeople?
We get it if you thought any (or all) of the above. Traditional marketing has, in fact, had its day. But just like the Yellow Pages (ah, nostalgia!), promotions have pivoted, ushering in a new era of sophistication and brand awareness.
Billboards and TV aren’t the only way—or even the best way—to get your brand out there. To reach your target audience, build lasting brand awareness, and close more sales, we recommend…(pause for suspense)…content marketing.
What Is Content Marketing?
The phrase is tossed around a lot, so let’s strip it down.
- Content = social media posts, blogs, emails, podcasts, videos, and other materials touting information about your business
- Marketing = strategies spanning relationships with new and existing customers, product packaging and placement, pricing, and sales
Pretty simple, right? What makes content marketing revolutionary isn’t its methods so much as the motives. The goal, after all, isn’t just to close deals. It’s connecting with a target audience, deepening relationships, and inspiring trust at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
Stage 1 (Awareness)
- Motives: Reach people who don’t know your brand. Empathize with their pain points. Position your business as a go-to resource.
- Methods: Infographics, Q&A videos, blogs, social media posts, industry reports
Stage 2 (Consideration)
- Motives: Reach people who are seeking a remedy for their needs. Balance promotional and informational materials. Focus on value proposition and brand differentiators.
- Methods: “How-to” articles and videos, product demos, comparison guides, case studies
Stage 3 (Conversion)
- Motives: Reach people on the cusp of making a purchase. Emphasize your product features and benefits. Capitalize on your authority and expertise.
- Methods: Buyer’s guides, product videos, research reports, customer reviews
Stage 4 (Loyalty)
- Motives: Turn one-time buyers into long-term customers. Support them as they use and invest in your services. Ask for their feedback and leverage social proof.
- Methods: Tutorial videos and blog posts, social media polls, community hangouts, membership forums, thank-you emails, and monthly newsletters
Stage 5 (Advocacy)
- Motives: Encourage followers to share their experience with your brand. Thank them for their support. Incentivize ambassadorship across their networks.
- Methods: Exclusive content, special offers, contests and giveaways, referral programs.
Maybe you’re thinking… “Sure, that all sounds great, but too much legwork. Is this content marketing thing worth its weight?”
Yes! Here are four epic reasons why:
- Content marketing boosts credibility and brand awareness. It’s true: repetition is gold. It takes consumers an average of seven times to fully pause, notice, and take stock of your brand. The more cohesive and the more frequent (not intrusive) the message, the better. What’s more, trust translates to sales—46% of customers pay more for products they believe in. In other words, it’s a dance between input and output while staying above board.
- Content marketing drives web traffic. Search engine rankings are dependent on organic and paid content. The more high-quality content you develop (across channels and under a unified brand), the more visibility you’ll likely garner. And a greater online presence leaves a target audience with the means to find and buy from you… easily.
- Content marketing empowers customers. Engaging content makes a target audience feel like co-pilots, not passengers, on the buyer’s journey. FYI: empowerment is key to customer retention. Subsequently, once they experience a sense of belonging—of being understood—they’ll keep coming back.
- Content marketing generates leads. The personalized nature of content marketing lets you connect with leads via calls to action. Not to be mistaken with cold calls (we shudder to think). In fact, 67 percent of digital marketers admit content steers the ship. Aye, aye, captain!
Ready to dive headfirst into the world of content creation?
Keep These Do’s and Dont’s in Mind with Content Marketing:
Do…
- Identify your target audience—their interests, needs, and preferences
- Research your industry—trends, competitors, and how you stand out from the pack
- Create a content calendar. Schedule the how (delivery method) and the what (topic) to monopolize your monthly postings
- Set and analyze measurable goals. Use KPIs (key performance indicators) to track success
Don’t…
- Overextend your capacity—no need to reach out to every person, on every digital platform
- Use jargon—stay away from terms that people outside your industry won’t understand
- Forgo the power of SEO—research keywords and keep content cohesive to boost search engine rankings
Behind every great content marketing strategy is a #trueblue team of experts. We’ll help refine your voice and keep your customers content (…happy, that is!). Check out our social media and ghostwriting packages, here.
We promise, no cheesy jingles. Just cheesy grins.
We can’t help it—we love seeing businesses crush it!
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