The phrase, “content is king,” is heard more and more in marketing circles. Good content naturally leads to more traffic and businesses everywhere are starting to see results simply by offering an app or creating a blog. Learning the best ways to create and manage content is important for any business. Here are just some of the ways content marketing is working and how it has changed in the past few years.
Why Content Marketing?
Traditional advertising is dying. As more people are learning to ignore ads on television and online, promoters are being forced to find new ways to gain attention. Rather than resort to gimmicks, they are trying something new: offering potential customers entertainment or information.
Sponsored content has risen in popularity because it doesn’t look like a traditional advertisement. Instead, it is presented as something your visitor wants or needs. This may be more subtle, but it keeps the visitor from hitting the back button. Because the information is found by a very specific audience, it also allows businesses to have more control over who they market to.
Because the sponsor or advertiser is giving visitors what they want, the visitors they receive are more engaged. This means they are more receptive to ideas, are more likely to buy and more likely to follow links within content.
As a bonus, content that is also highly sharable on social media tends to rank higher on search engines as well. This is because users share things they find interesting, which creates a backlink to the content. Not only does this expose your business to social media traffic through personal recommendation, it helps you build your online reputation.
There are millions of ways to create and distribute content online. Unlike traditional advertisements, you are not restricted by image size or a time slot. With content marketing, you are constantly able to reap the benefits.
Creating the Perfect Blog
Having a blog is a great way to showcase your knowledge on a topic or discuss your latest products and services. In the past, simply posting keyword-rich blog posts online would get you a decent amount of traffic. Unfortunately, it is no longer that simple.
Google has made significant changes to its search engine algorithm in the past few years. The majority of these updates have focused on promoting unique content that is human-readable. Social media also plays a role in search engine algorithms, as existing traffic and number of shares can boost a website’s overall position on Google.
These combined changes mean that your blog needs to have unique information that is still keyword-rich, but it also needs to appeal to an audience. Your ideal audience will be connected to social media and be willing to share your links. Creating this balance is difficult and takes time.
Standing Out from the Competition
Being unique also means setting yourself apart from your competitors. Because more people are investing in content marketing for their businesses, you need to think of even more ways to stand out. Here are just some forms of highly-sharable content that can help you get your point across while appealing to both readers and search engines.
- Opinion blog posts – Try writing about your opinion on a popular topic within your industry. Don’t focus so much on keywords, just update your blog often with relevant information. For example, “What I Look for in a Plumber” can both inform and entertain your readers.
- News and information – People often search for answers to their problems and your blog should be able to present them with a solution. Try writing about the latest developments in your industry or a new way your products can be used. For example, “New Technology Aids Plumbers” provides your readers with information and could prompt them to make a purchase.
- Question and answer posts – If you aren’t sure what to write about, try thinking of the most common questions you are asked online. Write a full blog post about the answer. If the answer is short, combine several questions and answers. For example, “3 Questions You Should Always Ask a Plumber.”
- Infographics – If you have a lot of information to share, try making an informative graphic. These large images are easy to share on social media because they provide a lot of information at once. For example, “Understanding Plumber Statistics” could help provide your reader with a visual representation of otherwise dull data.
- Video – Combining elements of social media and blogging, videos are a great way to get attention and explain something in detail. Try making a video on YouTube and embedding it into a blog post that explains the topic in greater detail. You can make the video on anything, including your opinion, a press release or a how-to.
By using a wide variety of content, you can appeal to a greater audience and gain more traffic. Businesses who update their websites and blogs on a regular basis are quickly learning just how important content marketing strategy can be.
Remember, the better your content, the more successful your marketing strategy will be. People will naturally share well-made content with little effort needed on your part. If your business focuses on producing great content first and advertising strategies second, you will be successful.
The way people market their businesses online is changing. To learn more about the rise in content marketing and how you can use it to your advantage, please contact us today.
