Have you ever wondered what is Content Marketing?
In this blog post, we talk a little more about the power of content marketing. How by exploiting it correctly you will raise awareness of your brand simply by creating valuable and consistently good content that people want to read.
Useful Content is at the heart of your marketing.
So what is the definition of Content Marketing?
a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.
Now that you know that, are you already thinking of looking back through all your old blog posts? How many of them were really useful to the consumer? It’s important to note that you do not always have to think of your online marketing as only being about self-promotion.
Become the leader in your field
Raising Awareness of your brand is a key goal of content marketing. A company that blogs regularly can see a 67% increase in visitors to their website as opposed to a company that rarely posts any stories. And, your authenticity and ability to deliver authoritative content builds ongoing trust with your audience.
A recently conducted survey found that 91% of consumers felt “companies that communicate honestly about their products and services” would be the key driver that influenced them to purchase.
Check out the Authentic 100 Brand Index, which takes data from 5,000 consumers across 15 markets on their perceptions of more than 1,400 brands. In the UK, they found that the top 5 Brands in order of authenticity to be:
- Marks & Spencer
- Boots
- Amazon
- Lego
- Dyson
Would you agree?
And, worldwide, the top authentic brands are:
- Amazon
- Apple
- Microsft
- Paypal
Their authenticity and positive relationship with their consumers build trust. So, what defines the key characteristics of authenticity?
Originality: the degree to which your brand brings something new or different to the market
Utility: the extent to which you deliver tangible benefits so much so that people feel they cannot live without
Declared Beliefs: the extent to which you stand for more than just making money
Sincerity: the degree to which your brand tries hard not to let people down
Familiarity: the degree to which your brand is well known and established
Momentum: the extent to which your brand has an aura of becoming more popular
Heritage: the extent to which your brand has a relevant history and has an engaging story to tell
How do you get started with Content Marketing?
That’s easy. The key to developing your content marketing strategy is to always feel you’re answering peoples’ problems. Put yourself in their shoes and prioritise this over simply selling to them. The better they understand what your brand stands for, the more likely they are to become a customer.
Content will ALWAYS be the future of online marketing
Writing good content is key. We’ve said this before when we talked about cornerstone content and how you can achieve better results using long tail keywords. Your content can actually be quite diverse. Why should a web design company in Cyprus only talk about websites? We like food and had recently written a post about Souvla, And, because we’re in Latchi, a blog post about the Blue Lagoon seems appropriate.
Neither story is actually selling our services, our hope is just that it would be useful to some people. Ergo, your story can still be told, whilst providing your insight on other topics. Some brands here in Cyprus are already doing this successfully. Check out what Latchi Dive Centre says about 10 reasons to try scuba diving. They’re providing really useful guidance about not only their products and services but real-life experiences. This is content marketing; where you provide valuable and engaging content to attract customers, rather than fighting to get their attention.
Content Marketing is a ‘long-term strategy’
It’s fair to say that there is a lot of work to do if you’re going to start applying these principles. Creating quality content regularly is difficult and time-consuming! It is, however, worthwhile. Remember you are informing and educating your audience before they have even made contact with you. There is a buying cycle with which you should already be familiar.
- Awareness – A customer may have a need but they are unaware there is a solution
- Research – When they are aware there ‘is a solution’ they research for themselves to improve their understanding
- Consideration – Next they compare your products and services with anyone else in your marketplace
- Buy – They make their decision and commit to purchasing
Crucially content marketing guides these potential customers through the first two steps of the buying cycle. Your cornerstone content and traditional marketing of products or services take them the rest of the way. Assuming you’ve structured that information equally as well.
Here are Five things to get you started
Prioritize Blogging
We’ve talked a lot about this already. So we won’t drone on. Promise. Just remember that not all your ‘stories’ need to be directly related to your products or services. Sometimes they can be about current affairs, the environment, the economy or any other subject in which your customers may be interested. Here is an excellent example by George from Revolution Hair & Beauty Salon in Paphos talking about the Met Gala 2018.
Videos
This is one of our favourite types of content. It’s thoroughly engaging and easily promotes your business. Videos that are short, typically 4-6 minutes long still express the ideals and goals of your company. In a world of short attention spans creating a stunning video is the ideal selling tool. Videos also help with link-building. Anyone finding your stylish video is likely to share it or provide a backlink. However, you must remember to still answer the customers’ questions. Don’t take that literally. Check out this video for Cyprus Mini Cruises who provide boat trips from Latchi Harbour to the Blue Lagoon. Doesn’t need words. It shows you exactly what to expect.
Experiences, Case Studies and Interviews
Providing good quality content on what people can expect from you is really compelling. Previous user-experiences are a bit like ‘reviews’ only more in-depth. It is a great way to start story-telling as you already have your content. Case studies and Interviews perhaps go a little further and need to be worthwhile in order to get people to link to them. Both provide comprehensive information that the customers need and are amongst the best types of cornerstone content you can create. Here is a good example from Latchi Watersports Centre.
Inbound Marketing
This is a tricky one for some. This isn’t a 4-page advertisement for your business. Instead, it’s an opportunity to provide your potential customers with a topical (or not) downloadable reference. You can build a relationship with your potential customers which develops greater trust in your brand.
Infographics
Brilliantly simple way to get your message across that is both visually appealing and easily understandable. Make your topic relevant to your target audience. Infographics are also very effective when shared across social networks. If you take a little time to review what your business offers we’re confident you’ll be creating infographics in no time. Above is a simple infographic for a first-time business looking at their branding.
If you’re uncertain how to get started in content marketing, find out what existing customers would have found useful to know. Or what information would have been helpful to them when they first found you.
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