What is content marketing?
Content marketing involves the sharing of informative content that is pertinent, captivating, and valuable to the specific audience you are targeting.
There exist four types of content.
- Written word
- Audio
- Video
- Images
In this post, we will discuss the various types of content, such as writing, audio, and video, that are mainly discussed on Copyblogger.
The main responsibility is to ensure usefulness as creating content serves no purpose if the audience does not receive any value from it.
Your aim is to assist them and enhance their quality of life while positioning yourself as a trusted authority who can guide them through the difficulties they encounter within your field of expertise.
One of the most effective methods to achieve that is through content marketing.
Why invest in content marketing?
Creating valuable content helps to build brand equity, which means that as you consistently create valuable content, the value of your brand increases over time. Additionally, by providing assistance to your audience, your brand will establish a strong reputation as a leader in your industry.
By following a step-by-step process, you gradually establish a flywheel effect wherein your momentum continues to increase until you ultimately achieve dominance within your field.
The main benefit of content for your business lies in the generation of organic traffic. This refers to the process of individuals finding your content on various search platforms such as Google, YouTube, or a podcast directory and subsequently visiting it.
The main difference between this type of traffic and other types is that these individuals are actively seeking you out. They are actively searching for information about your business, which is how they originally found you.
On all other platforms, you are disrupting their activities. They are mere spectators rather than proactive seekers. In general, it is more challenging and costly to engage in such marketing efforts (consider Facebook ads, YouTube ads, and virtually all other forms of advertising).
In summary, here is the difference.
When using those platforms, it is necessary for you to seek out your audience. However, with organic traffic, your audience naturally finds you.
There are a few reasons why this should excite you, and thinking step by step will help you understand them.
- These folks have a problem.
- They’re aware of the problem.
- They want to solve the problem.
Content marketing is particularly well-suited for growing your business because all three factors – online sales, critical ingredients, and uniqueness – are essential.
Creating a content marketing strategy
Once you have become convinced about the benefits of content marketing, it is now necessary to acquire knowledge on how to develop a content marketing plan.
A content marketing strategy is a method aimed at growing an audience by regularly creating, managing, and circulating content that educates, entertains, or inspires. The ultimate goal is to convert unknown individuals into supporters and supporters into clients.
To put it differently, you are establishing connections and finding solutions to issues.
If you don’t create value and provide your readers with the required information to solve their problems, all the fancy writing, headlines, and strategies won’t be effective. However, if you do create value and equip your readers with the necessary information, your content will be successful.
If you have the ability to both make your audience aware of a problem they were unaware of and offer them an ideal solution, you will gain lifelong customers.
Even if there are better solutions available, they won’t consider them — you will always be perceived as the expert in their minds because you were the first one to assist them.
Before you begin producing content in a rapid manner, it is necessary to complete three tasks.
1. Determine who your customer is
The starting point is identifying who your customer is.
What is it that they desire? What difficulties are they facing? How do they appear physically?
In order to commence, it is necessary for you to acquire a deep understanding of your customer’s thought process. It is essential to effectively communicate with them by using their preferred language.
The initial step is to conduct research in order to construct a fictional representation of your perfect customer.
You should create a character or avatar that accurately reflects the audience you are targeting with your content. Use this model to guide your content decisions and take a proactive approach.
2. Figure out what information they need
Now, it is necessary for you to put yourself in their position and experience their customer journey.
What is the sequence of steps required for them to engage in business with you? What information should they be aware of beforehand, and what is the proper order of it? In the end, how will you compose your version of the most exceptional sales letter ever written?
Create content that covers every step of the customer journey by following this content roadmap and starting with your initial pieces of content.
3. Choose how to say it
This is the place where you can unleash your artistic side, while still adhering to a logical and systematic thinking process.
You must figure out the method of communication that will be used to convey this information to them.
Which format will you opt for – a video or written content?
Which stories should be told? Which tone and voice will have the greatest impact?
Determining this will be easier if you have a better understanding of your audience.
In the end, you will have to rely on your intuition and then engage in relentless experimentation and adjustment.
As time passes, you will gradually improve your messaging and achieve success with your content marketing.
Building an audience
The way to establish a following is by creating valuable and pertinent content focused on a particular subject. This allows you to form connections through your writing and content, while confidently infusing your distinct personality into the world.
In the early days, Brian Clark built Copyblogger by thinking step by step.
He provided insights, thoughts, and experiences pertaining to a specific topic – online marketing and copywriting.
His work attracted readers who were interested in that topic, and as a result of the high-quality content, they remained engaged.
They have subscribed, shared, and formed a community of individuals who have similar interests.
Despite the significant increase in the number of blogs and the evolving online landscape since 2006, the foundational aspects remain unchanged.
My next point is of critical importance regarding your content.
To gain an audience, it is necessary to earn it.
In order for your content to be considered valuable, it must be of sufficient quality to justify the most important resources individuals possess, which are their time and attention.
If the content you produce is average, your readers will be able to detect it easily and will lose interest promptly.
1. Address something your audience cares about
Although this may seem evident, please take a moment to review your most recent blogs, articles, or posts and consider what message you are truly attempting to convey. It is important to ascertain whether your audience is genuinely interested.
Based on our extensive experience, we have found that stories can be enhanced by shifting the focus towards the needs and expectations of the audience. It is crucial to convey to them the reasons why they should be interested in the subject matter, and the potential benefits they may be neglecting. Furthermore, it is astonishing how frequently these basic queries generate significant outcomes. Additionally, it is equally surprising to observe the frequency with which these straightforward questions are left unanswered.
In all your content planning and creation efforts, it is important to keep your audience and your brand as the main focus.
2. Think about the user need you’re going to fulfill
- Update me
- Keep me on trend
- Educate me
- Give me perspective
- Divert me
- Inspire me
When considering this matter, it is crucial to note that ‘update me’ stories are highly prevalent in almost all newsrooms, despite generating the least amount of engagement. These stories consist of basic and factual news, such as a dog biting a man. However, if you are able to transform such a story into a source of inspiration, like a hero girl providing first aid to the man bitten by the dog, there is a significant likelihood of skyrocketing engagement.
To maintain the same meaning while thinking step by step, you need to find a suitable balance in user needs that align with your brand.
3. Make sure the headline indicates what you’re actually going to write about
If you want to capture the attention of your easily distracted audience, it is vital to have a headline that clearly indicates what they can anticipate from the content you are providing them. While a question in a headline is effective, it is even more advantageous to subtly suggest the direction the answer will take.
For instance, “I am going to the store to buy eggs” could be rephrased as “My plan is to visit the store in order to purchase eggs.” Original text: The company is introducing a new line of products in order to expand their market share. Rephrased text: The reason for the company’s introduction of a new line of products is to increase their market share.
- Will the Taliban keep their word in today’s Kabul?
- What these 6 former Taliban actions tell us about the trustworthiness of their promises.
If a headline implies one thing but leads to a different outcome, your audience will not appreciate the time they spent on it, which is why trust in media is derived from this scenario.
4. Get your timing right
Numerous studies have indicated that individuals engage in varied activities throughout the day. If the majority of your audience comprises young mothers, attempting to establish a connection with them on your website in the morning by providing advice on the most affordable car insurance options may be less impactful compared to an article suggesting the top nourishments and beverages to relieve sleep deprivation, or offering last-minute costume ideas for World Book Day (oops).
What are the rhythms of your audience, considering that different people engage in various activities at various times as well?
5. Understand which format fits at what time
This tip is somewhat connected to the previous one, and it focuses on the format you use to present your content. When people are busy and preoccupied, such as during the morning rush hour when they are juggling responsibilities like taking their children to school and avoiding being reprimanded by their boss for being repeatedly late, it is not the ideal time to provide them with a 7-minute video on improving organizational skills. Please believe us.
Many surveys have shown that in the morning, people are primarily interested in getting updates and information in easily digestible forms. They want a brief overview of the day’s important points so they can quickly connect with colleagues or other parents at the schoolyard. This is especially true for news and even more so for content related to brands, services, or products. Selling your product in the morning is not advisable, unless it’s coffee, train tickets, newspapers, or anything else that can assist your audience in getting through the initial hours of their daily routine. Although it would be interesting to know the viewership and statistics for purchases of dream vacations during these hours.
5. Make sure you are crystal clear on what you want your audience to do
From all the data collection we’ve done, across the many brands and news organisations we work with, we know this: engaging content will help you optimise your business goals. It will bring in more frequent visitors, they will value your content more, be more loyal to you, start sharing & engaging with your content and even convert to different things (subscribe to newsletters, join online conversations, sign up for webinars, leave email addresses in order to download info or even buy stuff.)
It is wise to aim for better engagement metrics. To ensure that your audience engages with your content, a straightforward approach is to directly instruct them on what you want them to do. Establish a clear call-to-action, such as voting here for …, sharing your experiences, or posting your pictures here. Additionally, make the call-to-action easily visible. People often prefer scanning over reading, and if it is unclear what they should do or what they will gain from it, your content may get lost amidst the noise of daily activities.
6. Use the input the audience is giving you
To ensure that your audience will engage with your content, it is best to explicitly inform them about the desired action. This can be achieved by creating a clear call to action (CTA), such as asking them to vote here, share their experiences, or upload pictures. Additionally, it is important to make the CTA visible, as people tend to scan rather than fully read. If it is not clear what they are expected to do and what they will receive in return, your content will easily get lost in the midst of daily information overload.
The most significant error you can commit is disregarding the input that the audience constantly provides you with – you simply need to search for it.
If you contribute something valuable, you should always participate in online discussions. Simply respond to questions, investigate any unclear topics for your audience, and reply. People enjoy connecting with others, especially on social media, where the majority of engagement occurs. Twitter even promotes this with its tagline, “be part of the conversation.” Being the publisher doesn’t exempt you from this, and many people overlook post-publication communications. So, get out there and start engaging!
7. Be personal, authentic and real (if you can)!
The most effective approach to connecting with your audience is by posting genuine and truthful content. Individuals readily engage with personal anecdotes, particularly when these stories illustrate or provide perspectives on how you (or your product or service) have facilitated someone in simplifying their life.
If you can relate to a story, it will be beneficial for you to open up and actively participate, leading to mutual gains for everyone involved.
