Strengthen your brand with content marketing. What is it and why write a blog?
Content marketing is the creation of content and its further distribution with the goal of building a relationship towards current, but also potential customers and followers. Content has become a key commodity in recent years, which differentiates the brand from the competition. And also a powerful tool, how to capture and maintain the attention of the target audience.
Read more about what content marketing is, what tools you can use besides a blog, and also about how to build your brand with it.
Content marketing is not just blogging. What types of content to create
There are several ways to create content. While it used to be the case that content equaled mainly blog articles, today every brand can choose its own path. And also the way in which it further distributes content.
When deciding, the characteristics of the target group and the channels through which it communicates are important. While a broader younger audience can certainly be found on social networks, a more professionally oriented target group will appreciate, for example, an e-book, which you let them know about through a newsletter.
What all can be included in content marketing?
Articles, reviews, quizzes, and other blog content
For the overwhelming percentage of websites and e-shops, a blog is a must. Original articles, or even independent reviews, tests or from time to time quizzes bring new information. If you are asking where to draw topics for the blog from, just look around. Answer frequent customer questions in sufficient detail. Bring new tips related to the goods or services you offer. Solve problems that trouble your target group or inform in more detail about your unique product/service. Feel free to do so multiple times and from different perspectives.
Video is still trendy
Video formats have recently experienced a huge boom. To create a unique post where you show the production process, how the product is used or how to repair it, for example, you don't need expensive equipment. Anyone with an average smartphone can now broadcast live on social networks or create popular reels. However, it is also worth betting on longer educational videos, tutorials or expert panel discussions.
E-books and case studies for a more professional audience
If you have enough information on a topic and would like to elaborate on it in detail, instead of a nutritious article create an e-book. Such an online guide can easily have dozens of pages. Similarly, as case studies, which bring your procedures and results closer, an e-book also increases awareness of expertise in the eyes of your potential and existing customers.
Social media posts
Whether textual, combined with an interesting photo or infographic, or the aforementioned videos, posts and contributions are also a way to create bonus content. Just choose social networks that are relevant to your business (where your target group is located) and address the audience at regular intervals. A great helper is planning posts in advance, thanks to which there is no risk that you will forget to create some content for this communication channel for a long time.
Podcasts as a new wind in content marketing
The latest addition, extremely popular lately, are podcasts. Audio is a great way to create content because it does not tie the listener to the computer or smartphone screen and they can do other activities alongside it. People listen to podcasts on their way to work, while exercising, or doing household chores. If you manage to create recordings or interviews that spark their interest and are beneficial to them, point for you.
How to create a blog and other content that also brings results?
Content marketing offers several benefits that can turn random visitors into regular followers and loyal customers. To be able to convert these advantages to your benefit, it is important that the content is:
- unique
- consistent
- beneficial
- engaging
- quality
- created with the target group in mind
- identifiable
This means that the content you create bears the hallmark of your brand and is original. It should be written/spoken in a style that is close to your target group and most importantly – solve their problems and answer frequent questions.
While it is true that being inspired by other brands or competitors is not bad, copying is definitely considered an unfair practice. You would mainly harm yourself. With a tarnished reputation and also penalization by the Google search engine, which recognizes duplicate content and displays plagiarists somewhere at the tail end of search results.
On the contrary, unique content, presented in an engaging style is what not only the search engine appreciates, but especially the one for whom it is intended – the visitor of your website/fanpage.
An important parameter of successful content marketing is its regularity building trust with your followers.
Take full advantage of content marketing
Thanks to good content, you build a brand
Quality content contributes to building awareness, comfortably on several online communication channels. With useful advice and tips, you act as an expert, bring something extra, and have the opportunity to attract a larger number of people to follow your brand. Even if your content does not directly hit your target group, a random follower can become an enthusiastic fan, who will recommend you to their friends or reach for your products later when they need them.
With unique content, you are always one step ahead
Do you sell the same bicycle as several of your competitors? However, the difference can be in the way you offer them to the customer. Create original descriptions in the e-shop that highlight the advantages of this particular bicycle. Add a video on how to adjust the seat and gears. Write a review with detailed photos or create a podcast where you educate your audience on how to choose the most suitable bicycle. All this content will be your competitive advantage.
Content marketing helps improve SEO
Content creation is part of search engine optimization. It is among those activities that pay off especially in the long term. If the created content interests readers, the search engine gets feedback that the article, video, or infographic is beneficial (longer time spent on the page, interactions within the internal structure of the page) and improves your SEO rating. The result is a better position within the SERP (search engine results page), where you can achieve ranks that most people click on with well-optimized content.
Content is a tool for creating leads
Content is a supplement to your main sales activities. Thanks to it, you can occupy more relevant search results and direct the customer directly to the product or service through linking. Also, do not forget to call the reader to action (purchase of a product, ordering a service, filling out a form, etc.) using a call-to-action element and naturally lead them to the main sales channel.
Still hesitating whether to create content? Or do you know about its advantages, but you lack the right content marketing strategy and help in creating the content itself?
