Content Marketing 101: The Do’s and Don’ts

Content marketing has now become one of the most effective marketing strategies as it allows you to give insight into your product or service and truly connect with your audience.

Content marketing is defined as a type of marketing that involves creating content and sharing it online through various avenues such as blogs, vlogs, and social media posts. But, it does not explicitly promote a brand, rather it is used to generate interest.
Think about it like this:

Have you ever been scrolling through Facebook and noticed your favorite boutique had a new blog post up? The blog post was about how to dress warmly for the winter… It contained tips like layering your clothes, investing in a good jacket, wearing a beanie to keep your ears warm.

While the blog did not exclusively promote one item from their store, or even several specific items from their store, it generated interest in winter clothes in general.

This is content marketing.

The idea behind the blog was to generate your interest in stocking up on warmer clothes for the winter. This boutique likely carries hats, scarves, and jackets. So, the goal is for you to read the blog and decide to go shopping on their site.

But, it isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. Of course, there are always do’s and don’ts:

Do:

• Understand your audience : First, find out what it is that they are looking for. Then, determine how you can fulfill this need for them and what media outlet is the best way to get across to them.
• Make it creative: Of course, you are not the only company using content marketing as an avenue to reach your customers. Determine what makes you stand out and do a spin on that.
• Engage the audience: Content marketing is all about building relationships with your customers and engaging them in your content. Use things like a CTA (call to action) to encourage them to engage.

Don’t:

• Neglect the “title”: No matter what outlet you choose, a catchy headline is the first step to drawing your readers in.
• Not focus on promotion : While the goal is not to solely advertise one of your products or services, you should still promote it in various ways – add a CTA at the bottom, make the post shareable, post hyperlinks to your site, etc.
• Skimp out on content : The bottom line is – the longer the content, the more engaged people generally are. Don’t just do the bare minimum, give them all the details and blow them away!

Rather you need help touching up your content marketing plan or your entire marketing plan in general, our team can help you! Give us a call.