In the days of old marketing was not as social as it is today. You could simply have a good sales pitch and an awesome product and you were set! Not today. In today's market even really good products and services that are needed by consumers can go under noticed and under sold simply because they lack content marketing strategies. This is an area no business owner or professional can afford to ignore.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a strategic marketing technique that includes creating and distributing relevant and valuable written content in order to attract and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving sales.
Purpose of content marketing
Content marketing is done with the ultimate goal of driving customer action BUT more importantly it is done to build a relationship with your target audience. This is your 'give back' to those who give to you--your customers! This is your way of assisting them and helping them to solve problems and make informed decisions. It is a way to share your expertise with those who need it most. The essence of this content strategy is believing that if we, as business owners and professionals, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty. The days of taking from consumers and not giving back are long gone! And as businesses... why shouldn't we provide optimum value to our customers in every way we can!
Why is content marketing so important?
Smart marketers understand that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective by the minute. In today's society consumers have technologies available to them that allow them to use a DVR to bypass advertisements on television. They have YouTube videos to explain the latest news rendering the need for magazines useless and they surf the internet so well that they can retain online information without banners or buttons. It is clear that content marketing is vastly important and any professional or business owner that does not understand this is sure to suffer for it.
How do you use content marketing?
Content marketing is a part of all of your marketing tactics, not a separate entity. You should ALWAYS provide relevant, informative content across all forums.
Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing strategies actually come AFTER content marketing strategies.
Inbound Marketing: The better your content the more inbound traffic and leads you obtain.
SEO: Search engines have ways of rewarding quality, consistent content with higher rankings.
PPC: PPC does not work well without quality content behind it.
PR: The most successful PR strategies focus less on their businesses and more on the concerns of their readers.
Content Strategy: It is more effective to have quality content that is well guided and intentional.
Which businesses should use content marketing strategies?
Virtually any and all businesses can use a content strategy and benefit greatly from it. A hair salon can give great tips on hair care. A car dealership can provide informative content on how to detail your car at home. A plumber can provide content on things that can damage your pipes or make the last longer. A day care center can provide parents with information on proper nutrition for children and the list goes on and on!
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