As a marketer or entrepreneur, you know how essential content marketing is. Content is the reason people follow and interact with you—and ultimately, why they do business with you. Content is an avenue for telling people about your products and services, yes, but it is also an opportunity to become more than a mere merchant to your customers. What if you could be a resource that kept consumers updated on industry trends and facts? What if you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, so people turn to your opinions on new issues first? When people look at you as more than a means to an end, they are more likely to remain loyal when the need to purchase something does come around.
How do you go about branding yourself in this way, though? It is difficult to keep your content fresh, on-brand, and consistent. If you are feeling overwhelmed at the idea of content marketing but want to gain Instagram views and Facebook likes, here are a few pieces of advice for giving people what they want to see:
Give people what they’re looking for
Well, duh. How to give people what they are looking for is the point. But what are people looking for? Everyone has their own reasons for following brands online, but ultimately, people are searching for amusement and information.
Can you make people laugh? Can you give them insight into your industry they previously did not know about? If the information you provide people is so significant that it influences their buying choices, or if people cannot find the laughter you bring them anywhere else, people will be more inclined to follow your social media channels, blog, and other outlets. As expert Josh Spector notes, “Your audience is at Point A and wants to get to Point B, but doesn’t know how to do so. Your content is the bridge… The best content changes the lives of the people who consume it.”
Give them deals
Consumers do, of course, like to see deals on products they are considering buying. Let people know if you are offering discounts on specific goods or at certain times of the year. However, don’t be too-promotional—no one wants to follow a Twitter feed that only tweets, “50 percent off on all goods this Friday!” Be subtle about it by combining your regular content with calls to action about your new offerings. Some businesses find it effective to advertise products before they even launch to provoke excitement. What do your marketing promotion and sales techniques look like?
Use proper subheadings
When it comes to writing articles and blog posts, Shane Barker from The Startup recommends that you use catchy subheadings. People’s attention span only lasts eight seconds, so remember that most people will skim what you write instead of reading it thoroughly. This habit means that encouraging people to read as much of your content as possible requires catching their attention quickly (research has found that 80 percent of people will read your headlines, but only 20 percent read everything else). It’s a matter of practicality, so remember to entice people with subheadings that are also good for SEO.
Outsource
You don’t have to produce all of your content yourself—you can outsource it. This does not necessarily mean hiring an agency to create videos, infographics, or images for you; it means taking advantage of partnerships and user-generated content.
These partnerships include brand alliances and influencer marketing. When you ally yourself with another business, you can tap into each other’s audiences and promote each other’s products. It’s similar with influencers—internet personalities might be happy to promote your brand to their sizable followings for a fee. User-generated content includes material your audience makes: videos, pictures, tweets, anything submitted to a contest, and more. Re-sharing such content is also an excellent way of expressing appreciation for your followers.
Keep an eye on your competitors
It never hurts to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. What kind of content are they publishing that your common audience responds to well? You should never copy their content itself, but it’s pragmatic to mimic the strategies that are working for them. Pay attention to what posts inspire the most engagement, what times they publish, and how they interact with their customers. If you notice something successful, then maybe you can try something similar.
Content marketing is an art, not a science—it necessitates a significant amount of human understanding and creativity. When you give people something they previously did not have, though, you can find yourself with an audience of loyal customers. How will you produce content without running creatively dry?
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