So, you’ve read ‘Marketing 101’ by insert name here, and they’ve suggested you look at this exciting thing called content marketing. First of all, good choice.
Content marketing is cheaper than traditional marketing and, some believe, more effective.
But what exactly is it?
WHAT IT IS
Content marketing is simply creating content that’s useful or interesting to the customer. That’s it. So that could be insightful articles, or maybe it could be a weekly newsletter. Why not both?
The purpose of content marketing is to grow, hold and entertain a solid customer base. Then, as we deliver and enhance the lives of our customers, we expect to be rewarded with loyalty and, eventually, sales!
I hate clichés as much as the next person (…) but in this case, it does help to remember that content is king. If your articles aren’t useful, your customer base just aren’t going to read them. That isn’t to say your content is poor; it might be that your just not tailoring to your audience.
WHAT IT’S NOT
In our content, we’re not looking to directly sell a product or service. When you’re reading an article about ’11 tips on how to remove a red win stain’, you’re not going to appreciate being inundated by product placements explaining how Fabriclean! will be the best product for the job. That’s the equivalent of the staff who ask you if you need any help in a retailer (I’m just looking thanks).
Content marketing is not a hard sell. Quite the opposite in fact.
As I said before, you’re looking to be rewarded with eventual sales from a solid set of loyal customers. This doesn’t happen overnight.
WHY DO IT
If done correctly, content marketing can show exceptional results. This, coupled with the low overhead compared to traditional advertising, makes for a deadly marketing plan – and it’s exactly why it’s so popular.
I know from our experience, working with companies such as Thomson Reuters to Monkey Puzzle Jewellery, this strategy can be applied to any business type or size. It’s flexible, and that’s the beauty.
TO CONCLUDE
Remember, the key with our approach to content marketing is to not directly sell. Sounds backwards, right? We’ve been doing this for years, and we’d quite like to think we’re experts at it by now. Feel free to drop us an email if you’ve got any questions.