Currently, content marketing is a buzz word that you hear everywhere appropriately and inappropriately.
The fact is that SEO has been changing rapidly recently. The traditional way of doing SEO is (almost) dead. The focus is increasingly shifting to creating content that is easily shared and read.
Because the entry threshold is low (anyone can write an article), small SMEs can play along with the big boys. This is great, of course, because you are appealing to a large audience for relatively little money. – At least if handled properly with the right strategy
What is content marketing?
There is no one set definition for Content Marketing. For everyone, this apparently has a slightly different meaning. But I would dare to describe it as :
Content marketing is a marketing method that focuses on creating, publishing and distributing the right content to your target audience-usually online-with the goal of attracting new customers.
Some components that recur regularly are social media networks, blogs, visual content and premium content (these are tools, E-books or webinars)
Why is content marketing so important right now?
There are so many different types of marketing that can produce good results if you use them in the right situation. But content marketing is special in its own way.
Creating content is a one-time investment of time and/or money that will remain as valuable or may even increase in importance in the future.
It is also a way to build relationships with potential customers. If people come back to your website regularly to read articles about your experiences they are more likely to see you as an expert in the field but they are also going to feel like they know and can trust you.
Also, content is easy to distribute. From the moment you publish something you have different sources such as Social Media on which to spread it. Search engines like Google and Bing automatically include these articles for you in their index.
Many websites create the occasional article or video but there is little or no structure to it. It is important to have a written plan that you can follow up on and adjust as needed.
Let me let you in on a secret :
Most companies fail massively at creating good content.
This is fortunately good news for you. Why? With the 5 steps we communicate below, you already have a gigantic competitive edge.
Step 1 : Why do you want to create content?
It’s understandable that you want to start creating your content right away but it pays if you lay out a plan first.
To see good results you must first :
- Identifying your target audience
- Creating content that appeals to that exact target audience
If you start writing general articles that appeal to “everyone,” you will have articles that don’t REALLY appeal to anyone.
It’s not enough to have an idea of who your target audience is, you need to know what resonates and where their pain points are.
#1 – identify your target audience
Start a blank document in which you will describe your target audience.
Suppose you sell sports shoes. Then we can take “runners” as an example.
But do you see the problem? Technically, runners are your target audience but your audience is not really specific enough for good content.
There are so many different types of runners :
- Professional marathon runners
- Professional sprinters
- Recreational joggers
- Runners who want to lose weight
- Runners who want to develop more leg strength
- ….
Do you think one article can perfectly address them all? Probably not (If so you can certainly let us know ) A professional marathon runner is not going to have the same interests as someone who wants to lose his beer belly.
Make your audience as specific as possible. Of course, you can also address different audiences separately with different pieces of content.
#2 : Creating content that appeals to your exact target audience
What are your target audience’s pain points?
If you have prepared a good profile, these are “easy” to find out. Of course, if you have no idea, the easiest way is to just talk to your target audience. Ask about their biggest problems and obstacles.
Online you also have a gigantic source of information available that can help you further.
An example might be marathon runners getting knee problems. You could make an article about this that describes the problem but also offers a possible solution. (Different kind of shoes?)
2. How do you know what type of content works best with your target audience?
The word “content” can have many different meanings.
- Blog Articles
- Infographics
- Images
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Books
- Slideshows
- …
In general, videos and articles with images work best. But if your target audience are creatives and artists, you may find that special graphics trigger much more response.
One tool we use regularly here at Are Agency is Buzzsumo.
Buzzsumo allows you to search for a particular topic and, based on that, displays content that has the most success for that topic.
(The only drawback is that it is best to search in English, as the Dutch-language searches do not always display accurate and relevant information).
This is a handy way to find out which topics about your target audience are shared the most.
But you can also look at sites like Reddit or Pinterest.
It is important that you also consider your budget. Now if your target audience loves action films, it is foolhardy work to start making your own short film. You may be successful with it but whether it will take you out of the cost…..
But content such as articles, images and podcasts are relatively inexpensive to obtain.
- You can make them yourself
- You can outsource the work
Step 3 : The most important step for content marketing success
Getting everything straight.
Meanwhile, you know who your target audience is and what type of content they like.
Now there is one more thing that matters for your success.
Your success depends on consistency
Content marketing will not produce results in a few days. Content marketing is a strategy that pays off in the long run. It can sometimes take months before you really get anything back from all the content you’ve created.
Many companies start full of expectation but drop out after a few weeks because they still have no results.
We noticed this ourselves with a client of ours, namely Exclusive Drinks.
We provide articles on which they can be found to attract more visitors. The first 5-6 weeks had not yet produced fantastic results. Until the article about making your own Gin suddenly landed on the first page of Google.
Unfortunately, there is no magic number of articles you should publish but it is important to have a regular reason to keep your visitors coming back. (And, of course, the quality must remain just as high)
Step 4 : Managing your content
Now you have to start planning.
If you do not establish a plan in advance, it is easy to forget to write, publish or promote an article. We understand that perfectly, something can always come up, you’re busy, you have to go to a party….
But if you plan, you can automate everything. If your content is already ready, you can “schedule” your post on your Facebook account. This involves setting a time when your post should go online and be shared with your followers.
The easiest way to do this is by using an Excel sheet or a project management tool such as Asana .
Step 5 : Promotion, promotion and promotion
Finally, The final step that determines whether your content will be a success.
You have a choice between free and paid promotions.
Free :
- Email outreach
- Social media
- Blogs (guest posts)
- Search engines
- Forums and communities
Paid :
- Facebook advertising
- PPC campaigns
- Native ads (where you pay sites to distribute your content through their own websites)
Conclusion
Becoming a successful content marketer is not rocket science, but it does take some time and effort.
You should know everything about the topics cited in this article. Only when you know them perfectly can you apply them properly.
It is important to practice. Your first articles will most likely not have much success. But the more you publish the higher the quality will be each time.
That said, if you follow the 5 previous steps you will obtain a clear content marketing plan that you can follow step by step.
Good luck!
