You probably already know the importance of incorporating content marketing as part of your overall digital marketing strategy. As digital marketers, we know that content is at the heart of nearly everything we do. From the content that lives on our websites, to the posts we publish on social media, to the copy in every single ad or email we ever distribute -- we’re nowhere without compelling content.
The problem is that for many brands the content process is less than strategic. Most brands know they should be investing in content but many never take the time to create a strategic plan for implementing content across channels. The result is an ad-hoc approach that fails to deliver compelling results.
Content marketing isn’t a short-term revenue generator. It’s not a tap you can turn on for an immediate influx of sales. It’s a long-term play that generates results over time. That means that in order to be effective in the use of content marketing to drive conversions, it’s essential to have a clear strategy in hand. If you haven’t developed your content strategy yet, or are struggling to get your existing content efforts on the right track, here are some tips to help you on your way.
1. Document it
We always recommend starting any marketing initiative by spending time upfront to develop a clear strategy.
●What are you hoping to achieve by investing in content marketing?
●What resources do you have available to support your initiatives?
●What does success look like and what are some near-term goals you can set to help you stay on track to achieve your larger aims?
A strategy will help you determine the answers to critical questions like these. Furthermore, a documented content strategy that is signed off on by key stakeholders will ensure all relevant parties are aligned on goals and expected outcomes, saving you from major headaches when it comes time to justify the investment you’ve made.
2. Make it original
If you’re familiar with SEO best practices, then you know that duplicate and spun content are major content marketing mistakes. Though these shady tactics may have generated results in the past, they are nearly guaranteed to result in search engine penalties and devaluations in the current search environment.
But it takes more than simply not plagiarizing content from yourself or other sources in order to stand out in today’s content marketing landscape. With so many players in the game, the bar has been raised in terms of what can be called genuinely interesting or valuable content -- which also happens to be the sweet spot for the types of content that deliver meaningful results. Your content marketing strategy should include ideas for content that can truly be called original. Examples might include: innovative solutions to customer problems, anything that’s entertaining in surprising or unique ways, and new research based on institutional knowledge.
In the example above, Camelbak, a top brand of hydration gear, has an interactive feature on their site that allows users to calculate how much water they should be drinking. This provides value to the customer, while also relating directly to the nature of the products the brand sells.
3. Make it visual
Even if your content is inspired, it might never grab a user’s attention if it looks boring. Big blocks of text with no paragraph breaks or visual elements will appear overwhelming, dense, and unappealing to users regardless of what the words on the page actually say. Most stock photography is similarly off-putting and will give your content a generic feel.
You know that saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, it might be a valuable piece of advice, but we all know that it’s human nature to judge things based on how they look. We all do it every single day. Keep this in mind when creating content.
The visual design and presentation of your content is almost equally as important as what’s written. On Refinery 29’s homepage, the publishing brand makes sure that the user-experience and visual appeal of content is top of mind. Top stories are highlighted with minimal text, readable font choices, and clean imagery.
Make sure website design allows for content that is easy for the user to skim-- that means paragraph breaks, bullets, numerical lists, and sub-headers wherever appropriate.
4. Diversify
Another way to make your brand stand out from the competition is to diversify in terms of what types of content you’re creating. Everyone has a blog these days and while it can still be a valuable content channel, it isn’t necessarily a differentiator unless you make your content special. Consider whether your business has the capabilities to create content designed for alternative formats.
Ideas might include a series of videos created specifically for Snapchat, a monthly speaking series that you livestream on Facebook Live, or even launching your own podcast. It’s impossible to produce great content for every content channel at your disposal, but you can be strategic about focusing on the one or two channels where you know your audience will be able to find you.
An example of diversifying your content is exemplified well with The Book of the Month Club’s monthly book reviews. Each month, popular authors or influencers for the reading community are the “judges” and help decide which books should be selected for members. The series allows these influential people to provide their own insights as to why they liked the novels, and reinforces the idea of customers returning back to their site several times.
5. Support it
Finally, a strong content strategy accounts for the ways you will support your content, because it isn’t enough to push your content live and hope that people will find it. If that’s your approach, you probably won’t be happy with the results.
In order to really ensure your content reaches an audience and starts generating conversions down the line, you need to put marketing dollars behind promoting it. That means paying to promote it on social media, doing (ethical) link building, featuring it in your emails, and even using it as part of a strategic display strategy.
Compelling Content Strategies Content marketing is not a channel that will deliver immediate returns, but when executed properly, it can have an enormous positive impact on the results you’re generating from your digital marketing strategy. Make sure to have a documented content strategy in place before you embark upon a campaign. Keep your content original, well-designed, and diverse. Finally, don’t neglect to allocate budget and time to promote your content widely.
To learn more about content marketing, visit Blue Fountain Media online.