The world of marketing and advertising has seen massive changes over the past decade. Developments in technology and changing consumer habits are two of the main reasons for these changes, and businesses need to understand and react to what’s happening. Consumers are less likely to read newspapers and magazines, so print advertising is no longer as effective. Billboards, mailings and television commercials have to be far more sophisticated to catch the attention of modern consumers.
One of the most effective ways to influence modern customers is by content marketing, which involves communicating and engaging with potential customers on an ongoing basis. It uses a mixture of email, social media, blogs and other online platforms. The objective is to provide consumers with information and establish your business as being able to offer expertise and solutions to their needs. There are no direct sales messages; content marketing is about influencing over time and allowing customers to come to you when they need you. Here are some tips that will help you to understand how to create content to market your business.
1) Keep it interesting.
Boring content simply won’t engage people, and they won’t follow you or read the content you distribute. You may not think it’s easy to make something like plumbing supplies interesting, but there are ways you can do it. It’s fine to use humor as long as it doesn’t dilute your core message. Using personal experiences and telling stories can make mundane subjects more entertaining. Remember that the subject you are communicating about will be of interest if you’ve got the right audience.
2) Keep it simple.
Content marketing communications should be presented in a conversational style, with use of technical jargon kept to a minimum. You may be writing about technical subjects, but keep the language and tone simple. Articles and blog posts should be structured with headings, paragraphs and spacing to make them easy to read. You’ll lose the attention of many potential readers if they see large blocks of boring text.
3) Vary the format.
Blog posts and articles are just one form of content marketing. Visual content is popular, so look for opportunities to share and distribute photographs to promote your business. Social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram have millions of users and are great for content marketing. Short video clips showing practical demonstrations can also work well. For example, a plumbing business could share a video on how to unblock a sink.
4) Make it easy to share.
One of the great things about content marketing is that it can go viral. A single article or photograph can reach thousands of people. Adding social sharing buttons to your content means that a reader can pass it on to their friends and followers with a single click. Remember that people will only pass your content on to others if it’s of high quality and offers value.
5) Make content mobile-friendly.
It’s estimated that over 70 percent of Internet access is now made from mobile devices. Google has recently updated its search engine to reflect this change in user habits. Any content you produce should be mobile-friendly. If it can’t be viewed easily on a smartphone, you may be losing out on a large portion of your potential audience.
6) Share opinions and be controversial.
As well as facts and information, consumers like to hear personal opinions and controversial views. Don’t set out to offend people, but don’t be afraid to say what you feel. For example, a fashion blogger could write about why she dislikes a particular style. You’ll win more followers if people feel you are prepared to express your views openly.
Content marketing can give smaller businesses the edge over large corporations. It can be used to build trust and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
