Content marketing is all the rage, and for good reason. With the right pieces of information on your website or blog, you can draw in visitors from Google, Facebook, and even YouTube. Not only is content central to search engine optimization and inbound marketing, but it’s necessary if you want to establish credibility with buyers.
The only problem with these positive aspects of content marketing is that your competitors know about them, too. They are adding new material to their blogs and social feeds all the time, just like you are. So, it takes something special to stand out online.
How can you give searchers and customers what they want and set yourself apart from all the other businesses in your industry? Today, we want to share four of our favorite tips to help you improve the quality and effectiveness of your content marketing campaigns…
1. Target Buyers, Influencers, and Keywords
Some marketers tend to confuse content marketing with search engine optimization. While the two overlap, your content marketing campaigns should be about more than keywords and search terms.
Think about the different types of buyers you need to appeal to. There are probably decision-makers, but also influencers who help them make buying choices. Set up your content in a way that works for both groups, and consider both when figuring out which search terms to target. Your content will be more well-rounded, and your website will have wider appeal.
2. Use Different Types of Content With Overlapping Themes
You have undoubtedly heard or read in the past that we all learn differently. Some of us are visual, others like hearing things or going through activities themselves. Knowing that, you can appeal to different types of people by varying your content posts.
In other words, don’t just write blog posts. Articles might be the backbone of your content marketing campaigns, but you can also use online videos, infographics, and even interactive tools. When possible, use a variety of different mediums to express your most powerful ideas. You might be surprised at the returns that kind of approach can generate.
3. Combine Shorter and Longer Pieces of Content
Some potential customers are going to be looking to your content for quick answers or basic information. Others will want in-depth reports or detailed analysis.
You can do a good job of capturing that traffic by having both short and long pieces of content on your website. Whether it’s text, video, or something else, give searchers a variety of options and let them choose the answer that fits. Not everyone has the same level of interest, commitment, or knowledge at any given period of time, so it only makes sense to set up your content marketing in a way that’s convenient for all your prospects.
4. Build Layers of Engagement and Qualification
No matter how good or comprehensive your content marketing plan is, many buyers simply aren’t going to convert into leads right away. That’s why you should have a sales funnel in place that moves them from one interaction to another. Create a series of calls to action that let interested potential customers sign up for your blog or newsletter, giving them a reason to hear from you again in the future.
With multiple layers of engagement and qualification in place, searcher can find your site, read or view what they are interested in at the moment, and then return or follow up with you on their own schedule. That means you get more conversions and fewer visitors get “lost” because they don’t have a next step.