While the term may sound self-explanatory, many people are reluctant to admit that they’re not sure what content marketing actually is. Content marketing is defined as a form of marketing which focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted online audience. Seems simple, right? However, this simple concept is multi-faceted and strengthens a comprehensive marketing plan. Read on and learn how marketers create success with content marketing.
Why is Content Marketing So Important?
A common misunderstanding about content marketing is that it simply exists to talk about your product and services. In reality, content marketing is more about your audience, as in “what does my audience care about?”
According to Ann Handley, author of the best-selling book, “Everybody Writes”, it is important to “stress the notion that everything you publish has to serve the needs of the audience first.” Once you determine what your audience wants to know about your industry, you can then use content marketing to educate and inform your consumer, positioning your company as an authority that is trustworthy and helpful.
By demonstrating your leadership and authority in your industry you will be noticed by the right audience as you become a credible resource on topics that matter to your potential customers. By earning the loyalty and trust of your audience, this enables your brand to have stronger relationships with customers, grow an engaged subscriber base, and ultimately increase profits. Today, more than ever, customers want to know that you care about them. So how do you achieve this?
The good news is that a ton of options are available for content marketing. From e-books to case studies, from how-to’s to podcasts, and many others. The strategies are endless. However, it is important to choose the correct strategies by first understanding your buyer’s journey.
The 3 Stage Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey consists of a three-step process that breaks down as follows:
- Awareness Stage: The buyer realizes they have a problem or need.
- Considerations Stage: The buyer defines their problem and researches options to solve it.
- Decision Stage: The buyer chooses a solution.
Consider these different stages and carefully think about which types of content your audience will need at each of these stages. From there, you will be better able to determine what content you need to create while still aligning this content with your business goals. If you decide that you need to create a mix of infographics, polls, and blogs, always be sure that these mediums tie back to your business and the goals that you have set.
Success with Content Marketing
So now that you know what content marketing is and why it is important, how do you ensure that your business finds success with it? According to Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, “To be a successful content marketer moving forward you have to be strong-willed. You need fortitude. You must have a fighting spirit. You’ll make it out alive, but you’ll probably look like Rocky at the end of Rocky I, II, III…Worth it? Yes. Easy? No.”
Persistence is key for success in the content marketing world. The biggest reason why a content program ends up not succeeding is simply because it stops after a few months. “Content marketing is a war of attrition,” says Pulizzi, “It’s a process. Success does not happen overnight.”
Let Efferent Media Handle Your Content Marketing
Producing high quality content marketing material on a consistent basis that highlights your business and expertise involves a lot of work. Let our expert content marketing do the work for you. If you need blog writing services or general SEO services, call Efferent Media’s marketing experts at (631) 867-0900 to get started.