Content marketing subtly plays into the shift from intrusive push media to interesting pull media where the target audience comes to you with curiosity. So this creates a completely different way of approaching the market. So you have to have something compelling to say, otherwise you will be rock hard ignored. Content marketing is thus a long-term process that consists of engaging, gaining trust, attracting visitors, and staying engaged.
In doing so, it goes directly against the traditionally one-sided way of advertising and promoting. What is content marketing? Basically, it is nothing more than providing an interesting story. With the aim of ensuring that a potential customer becomes an actual customer. And, with a bit of luck, eventually become an ambassador for your company. Because the fact that a good story sells itself is also true in the world of content marketing.
Standing out in the crowd
The amount of online information is constantly increasing. Standing out among the dizzying amount of content is therefore becoming increasingly difficult. It is therefore more important than ever to know how to stand out from the crowd. That means being special, being different, with content that is truly innovative. But what then is content marketing in practice? It can be anything; a blog article, video, white paper, podcast, or infographic. So content marketing encompasses all types of marketing communications that involve content creation and distribution. Incidentally, it is not only the end user who values content that captivates.
Search engines like Google are equally fans. After all, Google wants nothing more than for online searches to lead to relevant results. Because like the ordinary world, search engines also move with the times. For instance, Google is increasingly adept at recognising misleading practices and is therefore shifting its attention increasingly to content that does matter. So the days of over-optimised content leading to higher search results are now well and truly over. The consumer is in power.
With a nod to the search engine
However, this does not mean that there is no more room for search engine optimisation. On the contrary, because content marketing is an important part of modern online marketing strategy. Because although the user should always come first, with the right interpretation of search engine optimisation, you should ensure that the content appears high in the search results. In addition, think about incorporating relevant search terms and complying with SEO guidelines. So create the content from the heart, but keep in mind the SEO rules. In other words, create engaging content with a slight nod to SEO. Because at the end of the day, the search engine should not be forgotten either.
What is a content marketing strategy?
What is content marketing in terms of a marketing strategy to follow? To market the created content, a well-considered content strategy is indispensable. If all goes well, you know exactly who your target audience is, where to find them and what they like to see. So you also know which stories to tell and which channels your target audience is on. This brings us to two key ingredients for a successful content marketing strategy: content creation and content distribution.
Content creation
With content creation, you give your organisation or brand a face. With the right content, you stir something up in your target audience. This can be informative, entertaining or comical. The most important thing is that the content is seen as relevant or enjoyable. By the way, content is much more than just textual content. So also consider photos, slideshows and videos. Preferably a combination of several types of content. In order to shoot with focus.
Content distribution
Of course, the content created has to be consumed. Fortunately, the internet provides plenty of distribution channels. For example, content can be sent out into the world via social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Search engine optimisation also plays a crucial role in ensuring that the content produced is picked up. Thus, SEO and content marketing keep each other in balance. Content marketing is an important SEO tool, but SEO must also ensure that the content is found.
Benefits of content marketing
What is content marketing when it comes to its benefits? Content marketing would not have gained so much in popularity if there were not many benefits. The internet is constantly changing and content marketing has adapted conveniently. However, the two main advantages of content marketing are its measurability and low barriers to entry:
Measurable results
With traditional offline expressions, the results of the marketing campaign often have to be estimated. Fortunately, thanks to online tools, it is possible to know exactly what the results of all efforts are. For example, you can find out how many people clicked on your blog post and you can also retrieve interesting demographic information. Not to mention the number of likes, retweets, shares and views. The digital possibilities are limitless and the same is certainly true for measurability.
Approachable and cheap
Besides being measurable, content marketing is cheap. After all, people who end up with your information share the same interest. If the information is valuable enough, it is often shared with others. With a single click, other people are made aware of your content. Thanks to this viral character the whole world is open to you. Provide a fun video or an interesting infographic and the internet will do the rest for you.
Content marketing agency
So an expert content marketing agency assumes the power of content. And it should. The modern consumer only accepts marketing expressions that inspire, entertain, or actually help them move forward. A content marketing agency again helps with content marketing in all its facets. That means thinking about strategy, taking the lead in content creation, and adequately taking care of distribution. The result could be a white paper, a series of blog posts, social media posts or a corporate video. Either way: your target audience is always the starting point for this content.
Want to know more?
Engaging your target audience with content that captivates? Our content seduces your target group. Our online professionals will be happy to tell you more about the possibilities for your organisation. For more information on content marketing, please contact us at contact on.
