Marketing is an exciting universe hiding unexplored opportunities. A play-field for creativity. It grows, it changes, it adapts. And the center of it all is You. Us. What we need, what we want, and what we like. We are not naive. We are surrounded by promotion everywhere we go and we’re not easily impressed. That creates a stirring challenge for businesses to tell their story and bond with their audience. The shift to the digital world is growing stronger by the day and out-of-the-box thinking dominates marketing strategies
Why Content Marketing?
Let’s first outline the nature of content marketing – it’s the art of giving. It unites all content created for the benefit of the audience – to entertain, teach, inform, move. Not just sell. It’s the way for businesses to expand their two-way relationship with the market and reach the hearts of their clients. People want to be seen and understood. We crave connections and choose brands that bond with us. Content Marketing helps companies build and nurture that customer loyalty.
There are 3 core elements for successful content marketing:
- Relevancy – any content you put out should be valuable and interesting for your audience. You should relate to their needs and help them solve actual problems. (even if it’s just the problem of boredom)
- Consistency – that goes both for your brand message, and for reaching out regularly. Show the human side of your brand, build your personality, and grow that image consistently.
- Vision – content marketing takes long-term planning. Think about where you want to get, what relationships you want to build, and how.
Get inside the customer’s head
As we said earlier, brand success lies in effective communication. And the key, of course, is listening. Trying to put the pieces of the “buyer persona” puzzle together, detail by detail. And the goal is to understand how the customers think, how they act, what their journey is.
The popular sales funnel is a great way to approach this uneasy task. This funnel captures the main steps of the customer journey – from the initial brand introduction to the moment of purchase.
The content marketing strategy should be customized for each stage of the funnel. Anticipating the customers’ needs, the brand should gradually move them towards the desired action
Let’s look at the different stages and types of content:
- Awareness – this is your widest audience. The first touchpoint with your brand. This is the chance to introduce yourself, what you stand for, and what you have to offer.
- Evaluation – here potential customers are now evaluating why they should choose your brand over the competition. Your job is to build trust and to show your strengths and special value.
- Conversion – the time for action. The previous stages were all about generating interest and desire. People want to feel good about the choices they make. Give them specific reasons why they should buy from you. Show them what they’ll gain.
The image below shows the types of content suitable for each stage of the funnel. These are only some of the possible materials you can offer as we can’t stress enough on the power of creativity. Content can take many forms and you should focus on identifying what works best for your business.
So where does Content Marketing fit into today?
Today almost 70% of businesses are investing in content marketing. It is a key component for increasing 1 online visibility, improving SEO, and reaching more people. Offering high-quality content puts your brand at the right place at the right time whenever your audience searches for anything related to your expertise. According to Forbes, content marketing continues to rule the marketing scene in 2020 as one of the leading 2 marketing tools.
Content creation may seem tricky but it doesn’t have to be. Think about your community and reach out. With careful planning, you can start exploring opportunities to grow your business. There is no magical formula but rather an exciting journey to evolving your brand identity
