Blog Post

Content Marketing Tips and Tricks

As traditional marketing becomes less and less effective, marketers are turning to a more effective marketing strategy: content marketing.  To be effective, your goal should be to create and curate relevant and valuable content to draw in your customer. Content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers, not selling to them. You can think of it as non-interruption marketing. Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your customer well informed. If you consistently deliver valuable information to your customers, they will reward you with their business and loyalty.
A recent survey of more than 450 marketing professionals found that content marketing is the most popular marketing strategy, even more so than search engine marketing and print advertising. Not only is it the most popular, it is the only strategy that is growing in adoption while the others continue to decline.
According to GlobalWebIndex, consumers now spend an average of 10.7 hours a day with all forms of media and 5.6 hours of that on digital. Information is being thrust upon your consumer throughout the majority of their day. In order to cope with the influx of data being tossed their direction, consumers are selecting high value information from their most trusted resources, including you. Now, more than ever, the context of your content marketing strategy is crucial to your success.
Are you ready to integrate content marketing into your online marketing strategy but not really sure where to begin? There is a plethora of information available to help you on your way. We assembled some of our favorite tips for you to consider to kick-start your marketing content strategy:

  • Identify your goals. Your content marketing strategy has the ability to accomplish any number of goals. Determining your goals impacts all aspects of content marketing strategy from the persona you target to your means of distribution. Examine your current marketing strategy and decide where quality content will serve one of your key objectives.
  • Be helpful. You could create content that provides a wealth of information about your company or product, but will that engage or excite the reader? Maybe, maybe not. Typically, people are looking for answers to bigger problems when they look up your company. It is important to understand their pain points and make sure your content is both informative and helpful to your customer. Include tips and advice when trying to solve these problems instead of focusing on the hard sell.
  • Promote a variety of content. Your customers can look to you as a trusted advisor. When you come across an article related to a problem you are able to solve, share it. Be willing to show your customers you are engaged by providing a variety of content from other sources.
  • Have fun. Readers tend to discuss and share content more often when it affects them on an emotional level. It is important to seek, produce and distribute content that is consistently shared by your audience that can also be shared easily.
  • Be consistent. From your tone to your approach, maintain consistency. If you change too much your engagement will suffer as your customer will find your content too unpredictable and frustrating.
  • Make a plan. According to IMN, two-thirds of marketers develop their content without making a plan! It is important to provide structure to your strategy. Create a month-long strategy using an editorial calendar or a spreadsheet, whatever works best for you. The key is to make a plan and stick to it so you can be prepared for unexpected surprises along the way.
  • Stay informed. Content marketing is always evolving. It is important to be aware of the latest industry updates to ensure your rock star content is optimized for search and social media.
  • Distribute your content. You created it, now get it out there. Derek Halperin recommends the 80-20 rule: Spend 20 percent of your time creating your content and 80 percent of your time distributing it. Share your content through a variety of social media channels at various times and promote your content.
  • Use the available technology. There are several tools available to help manage the workflow of content production as well as the distribution of your content to multiple channels. Also, with tools like Google Analytics, you can easily trace a conversion back to the original content. And it is free!
  • Don’t forget calls-to-action. Encourage your customers to respond to your content and start conversations. Great writing is the key. Answer your customer’s questions and provoke them to think and respond.
  • Measure, measure, and measure again. It is important to track your content marketing KPIs if you want to evaluate the success of your content marketing strategy. If your measurements indicate something’s not working, it’s time to review your content marketing strategy.

Content marketing is a strategy that is continuing to grow in popularity. Why? Because it is effective and it works. However, this strategy is only successful when it is used correctly, with fresh, entertaining and informative content.  Anyone can create great content. The key is to create the right content and present it in the best way possible at the most appropriate time to make have a positive effect on your customer’s behavior. Are you ready to create your content strategy? Contact MJ2 Marketing today and let’s get started!