A Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing

Source

Content marketing is a fruitful tactic to engage, attract and retain visitors. This is done through dedicated podcasts, articles, videos, blogs, tutorials, and other media forms. It is a long-term strategy that aims to increase brand awareness, define expertise and allow a brand to advertise its products or services better.

An excellent strategy not only allows a brand to come on top of competitors but also helps a business deliver its message using the right content to keep the audience hooked for a long time. If you are debating whether you should hire a digital marketing agency to help you with this form of inbound marketing but are unsure, then you are in the right spot. Today, we shall examine what content marketing is, how it can help your business, and how it works effectively to promote customer retention.

 

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a digital strategy that creates and distributes helpful, informative, and brand-related content through emails, social media posts, videos, blogs, articles, tutorials, newsletters, and white papers. Smart content production not only allows a brand to establish expertise but also provides value to customers that are interested in the brand, its products, and dedicated services. Consistent and updated content allows a business to:

  • Foster long-lasting relationships with new and existing customers
  • Allows customers to look up to the brand as a source of guidance in the dedicated niche, which makes them more likely to make a purchase

Content Marketing Statistics

Content marketing has emerged as a strategy that never fails to work if applied correctly. Businesses can gain leverage and stand out while also enjoying other benefits.

  • 72% of B2B (Business to Business) marketing individuals have claimed that content marketing is a surefire way to boost engagement, leads, and revenue
  • Brands with their own blog get 67% more customers than other businesses
  • 88% of individuals have confirmed that a brand video convinced them to make a purchase

 

Content Marketing Advantages

 

1.   Better Online Presence

A suitable content marketing strategy is a surefire method to attract visitors and turn them into loyal customers. You can effectively use pain points in your content to allow the audience to believe you have a solution to their issue.

Informative articles, educational videos, emails, and other forms of media can help you establish a greater online presence. You will notice followers pour in on your social media channels as they are very interested in what you have to say about a relevant niche.

 

2.   Increase Loyalty and Leads

Content marketing is inbound, meaning that it will produce effects over a long time, but those that are permanent. This slow build-up ensures customer loyalty. They will not only be convinced that your brand is the best, but they are also more likely to keep making a purchase every now and then.

Stages of Content Marketing

 

Stage 1: Awareness

A brand’s content should be aimed at providing a solution to the top issues of its audience. This can be done by addressing pain points and asking the right questions. Content generated at the first stage needs to be informative and educational and should be able to provide detailed advice for how-to queries. The selling and promotional parts should be saved for the later stages. Content marketing at the awareness stage must be backed up by:

  • Videos
  • Newsletters
  • E-books
  • Blogs
  • Articles

 

Stage 2: Consideration

The second stage should be a combination of informational content and marketing. This means that a brand should not only focus on providing valuable and educational content to a reader, but should also address their needs in an accessible manner. This way, you can lead a customer to see value in your products and lean towards the products or services you have to offer. Content in the second stage should be focused on:

  • Worksheets
  • How-to blog posts or articles
  • How-to tutorials or videos
  • Checklists
  • Case studies

 

Stage 3: Closing

The final stage is closing, and knowing when to close when a customer is near to buying is crucial. This stage focuses on sales and should be used to convince a customer about why your brand is the best possible choice instead of simply focusing on boasting about your products or services. Suitable content for this stage should include:

  • User-generated content
  • Product videos
  • Research reports
  • Case studies
  • Buyer’s guide
  • Statistics

 

How to Initiate Content Marketing

1.   Define Your Audience

The first step is to decide who your audience is. Knowing this will allow you to curate content based on their preferences, issues, challenges, and priorities. Write detailed descriptions and come up with audience profiles before you start.

 

2.   Pick a Suitable Format

Format selection is based on the marketing stage and what forms can help showcase brand value. Remember that any audience judges content based on quality; picking the right external/internal resources is your best bet. It is also a good idea to hire a professional proofreader and editor to check any content that you generate to ensure quality before it is published.

 

3.   Select Your Distribution Channel

Decide where you will post your content. You can publish it to a brand website, email it or even get newsletters published. Make sure you know what distribution channel is the right way to reach your audience and acquire new visitors. Examples include emailing articles or posting checklists to social media.

 

4.   Devise a Schedule

Finally, create a content marketing schedule that allows you to establish when content needs to be produced and when it should be posted. Calculate your resources, budget, and the time it takes to produce each piece fully. Make sure to devise a schedule considering all the above and the right method to incorporate how-to guidance and appropriate CTAs.

 

Endnote

Content marketing is crucial for brand sustainability. It is a good idea to hire experts or work with a suitable marketing agency to ensure long-term success. This way, you can generate revenue and retain customers for years to come.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.