Getting out there and getting noticed
Content marketing might be one of the most over-used buzzwords of 2013, but the fact remains that it is a must for businesses if they want to survive in today’s content-centric marketplace. Posting a blog, publishing a press release, and a post to Facebook are all examples of content marketing at work. If a brand wants to rise above the crowd, grab attention from search engines, and feel the love of social sharing, content marketing is the way to go!
Who’s doing what, and are they doing it right?
And what is the right way really?
The end goal of all content marketing is to generate brand awareness and provide an audience something to engage with in an immediate sense – content is right in front of people all the time, and they then choose what they want to do with each piece they see. Social content, general web content, editorial content, news content…why are these things important? Each is a type of content that reaches different groups in different ways at different times. You might not use every kind of content listed here in your strategy, but think for a moment on the merits of each one all the same.
How to know you’re on the right track
Ask yourself these questions and keep our comments in mind when considering your answers.
- Is more really better? – More (quantity of pieces of content) isn’t really better for anyone. The web has enough clutter! One high-quality piece of content can easily win over 10 low-quality pieces – the idea is to provide value before focusing on the numbers.
- Who’s sharing it, and how? – Who is sharing your content, and how are they sharing it? When you publish new content it should be easy for others to share it and spread the word.
- How’s your timing? – Timing can cover things like your editorial calendar, the frequency that you post to your social accounts, and so on. Planning and consistency are key when it comes to content marketing!
- Where does SEO fit in? – SEO is something that should definitely be considered when you are creating and editing content that will be representing your brand. Optimize where you can and make sure things look natural.
- Who contributes what? – Do you designate a single person to handle the creation of your content, or do you have a team? Are you all about working in-house, or do you outsource? Is your content all from a general brand perspective, or do you allow for input from outside authors, i.e. guest posting on your blog? Keep in mind that while variety is a good thing, each step in between your brand and your audience can leave an opening for error.
- What kind of content? – What you are producing is very important as well. It must engage your audience regardless of what it is. Infographics, videos, whiteboards, widgets to name a few of the numerous possibilities.
Your takeaway
There’s a lot more to content marketing than many people think. It’s more than just throwing some blog posts up and sharing the links to them on Facebook, though this is one kind of content marketing activities. In order for your brand to truly succeed you need to regularly evaluate your strategy, its effectiveness, and how you can improve your approach in order to create the best experience for your audience while still reaching your goals as a brand.
