Back to basics: What is content marketing?
I am sure you hear about content marketing all the time.
But what is it exactly?
Content marketing is an approach that involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant content consistently with the aim of attracting and engaging a clearly defined target audience.
Content marketing builds trust, establishes authority, and drives profitable customer action.
By providing valuable and relevant content, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders and build relationships with potential customers. Over time, this increases brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, and sales. Content marketing is often combined with other marketing tactics to create a comprehensive strategy.
What are the most popular formats?
It can take many forms, but the goal is always to educate, entertain, or inspire your prospects and customers. These are the most popular formats for content marketing:
Blog posts: Companies can create blog posts on a variety of topics that are relevant to their audience, such as how-to guides, industry news, trends, and thought leadership pieces. Blog posts can be optimized for search engines, making them a great way to drive organic traffic to a website.
Social media content: Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer businesses a powerful way to engage with their audience and promote their brand. Social media content can include text posts, images, videos, and other media types designed to educate, entertain, and engage followers.
Ebooks and whitepapers: Longer-form content like ebooks and whitepapers can be used to provide in-depth information on specific topics. These types of content are often used in B2B marketing to educate potential customers and establish thought leadership.
Infographics: Infographics are visual representations of data or information designed to be easily understood and shared. They can be used to present complex information in a simple and engaging way.
Webinars and podcasts: Webinars and podcasts are great ways for businesses to provide educational content to their audience. They can be used to share insights and expertise on specific topics, answer questions and engage with the audience in real time.
Case studies: Case studies are examples of how a company's products or services have helped solve a problem or meet a specific need for a customer. They can demonstrate the value of a company's offerings and build trust with potential customers.
What are the benefits?
Content marketing has become popular because it is a highly effective way for businesses to connect with their target audience and build brand awareness. The benefits that content marketing provides include the following:
Increased trust and credibility: By providing valuable and relevant content, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and build trust with their target audience.
Improved engagement: Businesses can increase engagement and interaction with their brand by creating content that resonates with their audience.
Cost-effective: Content marketing can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic, generate leads, and build brand awareness compared to traditional advertising methods.
Highly targeted: By creating content tailored to their target audience's needs and interests, businesses can attract and engage the right people, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Evergreen approach: Unlike traditional advertising, which has a short lifespan, content marketing can have long-lasting benefits. High-quality content can continue attracting new visitors and generating leads for months or even years after publication.
How is it distributed?
There are several ways to distribute content marketing, and the best approach depends on the specific content, target audience, and marketing goals. Here are some strategies to consider:
Social media: Social media platforms are great for distributing content marketing because they allow you to reach a large audience quickly and easily. Depending on your target audience, you can share your content on social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Email marketing: Email marketing is an effective way to distribute content marketing to a targeted audience. You can send your subscribers newsletters, promotional emails, or drip campaigns, providing valuable content and nurturing leads.
Influencer marketing: Partnering with influencers in your industry can help you reach a wider audience and build credibility. Influencers can promote your content on their social media channels or blog, driving traffic to your site.
Guest blogging: Writing guest posts for other websites in your industry can help you reach a new audience and establish your expertise. Be sure to include a link to your website in your author bio or within the content.
Content syndication: Syndicating your content on third-party websites and platforms can help you reach a wider audience and increase your brand visibility. Platforms like Outbrain and Taboola allow you to promote your content on major media websites.
Remixing: Editing content for use across a range of distribution channels is critical to success and should be incorporated into the content creation process. Getting your content in front of prospects and customers is just as important as creating it.
