CONTENT MARKETING AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY
As you can tell, the Internet and new media technology have played a major role in the way we interact with others. Social media has made it possible to reach a much larger group of people on a worldwide basis. As a result, traditional methods of communicating are becoming replaced by newer trends.
In the marketing industry, content marketing has become the new black. This strategy involves creating and sharing significant, dependable and valuable material that will appeal to a particular audience. According to Forbes, SEO and content marketing work well together because search engines are useful in helping prospective customers find your content. Still, your content needs to keep your visitors engaged so they keep coming back.
Content marketing is designed to attract potential customers by educating them with useful information. Yet, the goal is that the customers will eventually trust and then patronize the company. Nowadays, businesses are employing content marketing as a tactic to expose themselves to customers. But content marketing must be strategic. The method with which the content is distributed is pivotal to the effectiveness and purpose of the message.
In baseball, the goal of the pitcher is to get the ball to the catcher within the strike zone. Sometimes it takes throwing a sublime curveball. The way he throws the ball could affect the possibility of the ball getting caught and the outcome of the game. In a similar way, the mode of content delivery affects how the message reaches the target audience and how they perceive it. Hence, it is important to study your audience and understand not just the type of material that interests them but also the right medium or platform for sharing.
Each social media site and communication channel is associated with certain demographic and audience. Content marketing experts take this into consideration when researching the most effective marketing platform. For example, professional content is better received on Google+ and LinkedIn than on Pinterest and Instagram.
Visual content is essential in attracting and engaging audiences and should be implemented in social media and even email promotions. You can publish an amazing article but there is a huge chance it will be overlooked if it’s not accompanied with an image. People are attracted to visuals because is that it gives them an idea of what is happening. Great visuals encourage people to take a look at the associated post as well as make it easier for them to understand the material.
There are certain hours of the day and days of the week that are most effective to post content. For instance, Thursdays and Fridays are the best days to post on Facebook while early afternoon is the peak time to publish. “The less people want to be at work, the more they are on Facebook!” – Buddy Media
According to Quick Sprout, this varies based on your business, target audience and goals. Hence, it is important to use insights and other social media tools when researching ideal publishing times.
One of the reasons content publishers see engagement on their posts is because they know their target audience. A good understanding of your viewers helps create content that is suitable to them. Social media tools play a huge role in displaying what interests your views based on previous published content.
Content marketing is a great strategy to attract customers and keep them engaged. Material that is exciting, valuable and informative inspires people to talk about your company. This will ultimately contribute to the success of your business.
References:
AdWeek, WSOL Blog, HubSpot, Content Marketing Institute, Thomson Reuters, Business 2 Community, Quick Sprout & Forbes.
