Last week, we discussed the benefits of mobile marketing. In that post, we explored some of the ways that marketers expand their reach. One of those ways was content marketing, the use of creative content, such as videos and blogs, to sell your products.
We'll let you in on a secret: what you're reading right now is an example of content marketing. We use blog posts to generate interest in our services by educating people about different marketing methods and concepts. We hope to be as informative as possible, but… we cannot tell a lie. We hope you'll seriously consider contracting with us after reading our posts.
Content marketing is one of the best ways a firm can expand its customer base. According to a 2021 report from Hubspot, 82% of marketers used content marketing last year. Video is the most common form of content marketing, followed by blogging and other forms of text, like case studies and ebooks, as well as posts on social media. A good content marketing strategy should employ at least some of these methods.
Planning your Content
Peter Boyd, an attorney out of Florida, gave some advice about content marketing in a column for Forbes magazine late last year. The number one bit of advice he provides is that content marketing should attempt to solve a problem experienced by your target audience. "What this means," he says, "is that content could solve problems faced by those just dipping their toes in the water, those who have a little knowledge but need to learn more before moving forward, and those who have jumped in the pool once and may be ready for another go."
In other words, many potential (or existing, for that matter) customers are looking for people who can help address some shortcomings in their lives or businesses. We've certainly tried to do that with our blogs.
Think of it from a customer's perspective. Let's say you're a small business that needs help with setting up IT security in your office. Let's say you're looking for the latest news about cybersecurity threats in your sector. You do a Google search on the topic, and you find some videos from local managed IT providers with summaries about recent cyberattacks, what kind of methods the attackers used, and some simple measures anyone can take to protect themselves. At the end of the content, you find the providers' contact information.
Now think of it from the IT providers' perspective. By providing accessible and free information, you've created credibility with your audience. If you're putting out content on the regular, you've also demonstrated that you're reliable and disciplined. By adding your contact information to all of your content, you've just increased your chances of getting new clients.
Making the Best of Content Marketing
Whether you're making videos, writing blogs, or publishing on social media, the key to content marketing is consistency. Why? Because consistent posting increases your SEO. Posting regularly throughout the week signals to search engines that you're an active internet presence and rewards you by placing your content higher in your search results.
Moreover, it's important to consider what sorts of content you'd be willing to publish. According to Hubspot's report, video is king. The issue with videos, however, is that they're expensive and time-consuming to produce. You'll need to have someone on staff or on contract who can write, direct, and edit your content. Other forms of content marketing, like blogging, infographics, and case studies, are less labor-intensive but still rewarding. According to the independent marketing firm Semrush, websites that produce regular blogs are able to generate 67% more leads than sites that don't blog.
Are you ready to get started on your content marketing journey? Web and Marketing USA can help you plan out your content marketing strategy and produce reliably compelling content for your target audience. Click the REQUEST button below to schedule a free consultation.
