Three Surefire Ways to Improve Your Content Marketing Right Now
Published on April 13, 2016
As the blustery winter months fade away and the warm days of summer beckon, teasing you from just a little bit out of reach, your mind is probably on everything and anything but your business’ content marketing strategy.
We get it! Honestly! But here at Geek, we’re thinking about digital marketing more than ever. More than just a buzzword, content marketing has proven to be one of the most effective ways to generate positive leads, boost SEO, and convert curious Internet users into loyal customers.
If your business hasn’t yet committed to content – or if you’re just looking to revamp and refresh your efforts as we head into the next chunk of the year – now is the time to plot out your content marketing course.
Here are three proven strategies that will help boost your content marketing efforts to new heights in the months ahead:
1.) Think Outside the Blog - Other Digital Marketing
Blogging is a tried-and-true way to drive customers to your site – and, with the right copy and design, to turn your readers into customers. But in today’s media landscape, a blog alone won’t be enough to satisfy every business’ content marketing goals. Instead of the blog slog, branch out into new forms of multimedia: Consider the podcast, offer your readers an eBook download, and, most importantly, offer your users video in the form of webinars, vlogs, or how-to guides.
And don’t just put up content on one channel and assume it will drive you mounds of traffic overnight. When it comes to marketing right now, the watchword is “diversify.” Diversify your content and the ways you disseminate it. In addition to SEO, make sure you’re also using social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and even display ads to reach as broad an audience as possible.
2.) Free Up Your Information
Many businesses worry at first about paying content marketing strategists and then just giving away the actual content they create for free. Isn’t that a waste of money? Shouldn’t you be charging with a paywall or at least requiring users to register for a newsletter?
You should never fear giving away information for free on your website and social channels. What you’re offering with your content is genuine knowledge and expertise; this is pure value, which you’re giving away to your users without asking for anything in return. This free exchange creates loyalty and brand recognition in your readers, which converts regular visitors from curious searchers to leads, and, finally, to sales.
In addition to your regular content, don’t be afraid to offer other value for free, as well: Try launching a small contest on social media or offer your website visitors a free eBook. All of the value you pass along won’t go unnoticed or unrewarded.
3.) Put Content Marketing to Work for B2C and B2B
While we generally tend to think of content marketing as part of a business-to-consumer (B2C) strategy, we know that it creates value for business-to-business (B2B) marketing efforts, as well.
Both styles should focus on being well-designed, well-written, and compelling, and you should still feel free to use a variety of multimedia. The trick is that B2C content should be written for your ideal general audience, which is probably a fairly broad population. B2B content, on the other hand, should be more tailored to suit your specific target’s needs. While B2C content is all about appealing to your reader’s emotions to spread your brand story, B2B content creation should emphasize presenting useful, value-backed data in an easy-to-consume digital format.
Ready to take a fresh look at your content marketing strategy? That’s where we come in! Here at Geek, our experienced team is happy to help with every service you may need, including blogging, social media, and email marketing. Drop us a line for all of your content marketing needs today!
