What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing involves creating and sharing relevant articles, videos, podcasts, and other media to attract, engage, and retain an audience. It helps establish your brand as an expert, builds brand awareness, and keeps your business in the minds of potential customers when they’re ready to make a purchase.

A well-crafted content marketing strategy positions your brand as a leader in your field, fostering trust with your audience. By using various forms of content, this inbound marketing approach effectively attracts customers and enhances loyalty, making it a valuable tool for customer retention.

Content marketing definition: What is content marketing?

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content such as blogs, newsletters, white papers, social media posts, and videos with current and potential customers. When executed effectively, this content demonstrates your expertise and shows that your company values its audience.

Consistent content marketing helps build and maintain relationships with both potential and existing customers. When your audience views your company as a helpful partner and a trusted source of information, they are more likely to choose your business when making a purchase.

Why is content marketing important?

Content marketing is a proven strategy that offers a competitive edge. Here’s what the data reveals:

– Businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads compared to those without.

– 67% of B2B marketers report that content marketing boosts engagement and lead generation.

– 88% of people say branded videos have influenced their purchasing decisions.

When executed effectively, content marketing can:

– Increase Online Visibility: Attract more customers and visitors by providing educational and relevant content that addresses their needs. This can improve your online presence through your website and social media.

– Generate More Leads: Drive traffic and build trust with potential customers by offering valuable content. This helps in converting visitors into leads and fostering relationships.

– Boost Loyalty: Enhance customer loyalty by sharing informative content. Loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and view your brand as a trusted resource.

– Improve Authority: Establish your brand as an authority in your industry. Quality content helps build trust and positions your business as a leading expert on specific topics.

How content marketing works

Content marketing can help your business attract leads, persuade potential customers, and close sales. To use it effectively, deliver relevant content at each stage of the sales cycle: awareness, consideration, and closing. This approach actually simplifies the process.

Here’s how to use content marketing at each stage:

Awareness Stage

In this initial stage, focus on addressing your audience’s top concerns. Provide educational content that addresses their pain points and questions, rather than trying to sell your product or service.

Effective content types for this stage include articles, blog posts, e-books, videos, and newsletters.

Examples:

– A restaurant writes a blog post on planning a menu for a graduation party.

– A bike touring company creates a video titled “3 Ways to Choose the Right Bike Trip.”

– An architecture firm offers an e-book called “Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect.”

Consideration Stage

At this stage, blend helpful information with marketing content. Educate the reader on what features or functions to look for and how these address their needs, while highlighting what your business offers.

Effective content types for this stage include case studies, how-to articles, videos, and checklists.

Examples:

– A cloud-based phone system company creates a checklist titled “8 Ways to Improve Your Phone Customer Service,” detailing essential features.

– A landscaping company publishes case studies on “The Biggest Mistakes Most People Make When They Hire a Landscaper.”

– A catering company shares case studies about events, such as “How to Accommodate Food Allergies at Your Next Event.”

Closing Stage

As prospects near the buying decision, focus on why your business is the best choice. Highlight your expertise and the unique benefits of your product or service.

Effective content types for this stage include case studies, user-generated content, buyer’s guides, product videos, and research reports.

Examples:

– A consulting firm releases a research report showing that businesses using strategic planning and assessments experience higher growth.

– A design agency posts videos showcasing its work across various industries to highlight its expertise.

– An orthodontist practice features patient testimonials praising its advanced equipment and service.

How to get started with content marketing

Content marketing can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. A successful campaign should be manageable and sustainable. Here’s how to get started:

Identify Your Audience

Understand your audience’s priorities, challenges, and preferences. If you have detailed audience profiles, focus on one or two segments. If not, create profiles for your audience members and prospects before you begin.

Determine the Right Formats

Choose content formats that match the stage of the sales cycle you’re targeting. Consider what formats will best highlight your value. For some, a video may be ideal; for others, a checklist might be more appropriate.

Ensure your content is high quality, regardless of who creates it. Hire a professional proofreader to review your work before publishing.

Decide on Distribution

Decide where you will post your content—on your site, via email, or in print. Choose distribution channels based on where your audience is most likely to be. For example, articles work well in emails, checklists or worksheets can be shared on social media, and buyer’s guides are effective as follow-ups to pitches.

Create a Sustainable Schedule

Develop a short-term plan (3-6 months) that includes realistic content creation based on your budget and resources. Track the time needed to create each piece of content to help build a practical schedule.

Follow Best Practices

Ensure your content is clearly written and free of jargon. It should offer detailed, actionable advice in a concise format.

Content marketing and SEO

Content marketing helps attract potential customers to your business, but you can enhance your results with search engine optimization (SEO). Here’s how to improve your SEO efforts:

Keywords

Keywords are crucial for SEO. These are the words and phrases that people use when searching for a company, product, or service online. Including the right keywords in your content will help drive more traffic to your site. The best keywords are:

– Plain-Language: Use terms your audience uses to describe their needs and challenges.

– Relevant: Choose keywords that align with your products, services, and expertise.

– Specific: Select keywords that reflect your focus, industry, and the specific pain points of your prospects.

Optimising Content

Search engines evaluate content based on how well it matches the search intent and whether it delivers what the headline promises. To make the most of your keywords:

– Focus on 1 to 2 Keywords: Avoid overloading your content with keywords. Concentrate on a few key phrases that matter most to your audience.

– Include Keywords in Titles: Ensure the title clearly indicates what the content is about.

– Incorporate Keywords Naturally: Use keywords throughout your content in a way that fits naturally.

– Stay Relevant: Ensure your content stays on topic and provides valuable information related to the headline.

Social media and content marketing

Once you have content ready, it’s time to promote it. Social media platforms—such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Medium, and Instagram—are effective channels for getting your content noticed. Simply post and link to your content to start engaging your audience.

Here’s how to approach social media promotion:

Choose the Right Channels: Focus on the social media platforms where your audience is active. Consider both major platforms and niche, industry-specific ones that could help you reach potential customers. You can also ask your audience about their preferred channels and use this information to create a targeted list.
Tailor Your Content: Each social media platform has its own style and audience expectations. Spend time understanding the norms and tone for each platform. Then, adjust your posts to fit these norms while still reflecting your company’s voice.
Test and Adjust: Effective social media promotion involves experimenting and refining your approach. Monitor the responses from different platforms to evaluate their effectiveness. High engagement on a few channels may indicate a better fit than high click numbers with minimal meaningful interactions.