We’re back once again with our digital marketing 101 series.
Engaging your audience with content marketing is one of the best ways to demonstrate your brand's value. By utilising different types of content to promote your product, service or idea, you can reach a broader audience and maximise your chances of generating sustained interest and sales.
With so many forms of content available, it can be tough to know which to use to make a statement. Some brands might post gifs, blogs, and user-generated content or rely on case studies and social media posts. The point is there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Content is contextual: Certain media and platforms go well with certain types of brands. For instance, an interior design company should be on Pinterest. Design is one of the most popular categories on Pinterest, with billions of design pins living on the platform. Designers are using it when searching for inspiration for their next design project. Your clients are using it when looking for ideas and examples of the kind of work they like.
On Pinterest, you have an amazing opportunity to reach your dream clients even before they start looking for a designer to hire.
Consider where your audience is: If your target audience is younger, you should be on Instagram because a big chunk of Instagram's demographics are between 18-34.
A quick run-through of all your content options:
Blogs
Blogging is an important content marketing consideration because you can use this to get Google to index more pages, make you more of an authority in your industry and, in turn, get more eyes on your website.
Infographics
These are great for educational content. You could use an infographic to explain to potential buyers how to make a purchase on your website.
Videos
Videos quickly engage audiences. It also happens to be a popular way to consume content. According to HubSpot research, 54% of audiences prefer videos over any other type of content from brands they support.
Case studies
This form of content is particularly beneficial for brands trying to reach decision-makers who love their research and want concrete reasons why they should buy.
E-books
This type of long-form content is a great way to offer your viewers valuable information. The Experience Optimization Playbook by Optimizely gives readers optimisation strategies from impressive Fortune 500 companies.
User-generated content
This is super effective content because it’s coming from advocates and can be used to promote your business. Testimonials can be turned into posts and also placed on your website. You can also share product reviews straight to your stories.
Content marketing success really comes down to knowing what your audience needs and putting your all into it. If you feel it, then you are more likely to communicate the message to your audience.
In your marketing efforts, you may have to experiment a bit to figure out what types of content will resonate with your customers, but data analytics makes it easy to measure your success.
Content marketing is a great way to create brand awareness, generate leads and, above all, provide your customers with valuable content. If you need further proof, read our list of game-changing digital marketing stats.
