Sure you can post to your social networks and these hold some cache, but how much impact is your online presence really having? Your tweets are buried in seconds and your Facebook posts may keep their heads above water for a minute before drowning in the detritus of dancing cats and pictures of Aunt Mildred’s beach holiday. What you need is a comprehensive content marketing strategy that allows you to contribute meaningfully and intelligently so that you become an indispensable resource.
What is content marketing and why should I care?
Glad you asked! Content marketing is the full body of the work you share on the web. This should include videos, blogs, informative infograhics, anecdotal insight, ebooks, webinars, vlogs, ecourses and helpful how-to’s, all wrapped in the warm and friendly embrace of your exceptional personality. You should care about content marketing because providing this invaluable service to your customers has more benefits than you can shake a sharp stick at:
Brand narrative:
Each time you post content to the internet, you are telling the next chapter in the story of your brand. With a cohesive content marketing strategy, you control that narrative, the characters in it and the way your brand is portrayed online. Without one, you have no control over the direction your brand narrative takes. Consequently, your brand will be insipid, with no central identity to hold your readers attention and soon it will be buried under Aunt Mildred’s ample bikini-clad bottom.
You’re the expert:
You know your game and when you provide great content, you set yourself up as an expert in the field. Establishing your expertise makes it easier for prospective clients to trust you, especially since you are offering valuable information or helping them in some way.
Unparalleled SEO:
Providing value-added content means that your readers will stay on your site and they’ll share your posts on their social networks. Not only does this help to spread your brand narrative, it also shows the search engines that your website is relevant, regularly updated and provides value to the visitor. This will help to move your site up to the top of a search results page and drive visitors to your site.
Join in the conversation:
There is a conversation going on about your brand and you should make sure that your voices are the loudest. You and your employees have a wealth of knowledge to share and people relate more to a friendly face than they do to facts, figures and jargon. Get in the game and share the years of experience you have with others.
Content marketing should start with a comprehensive strategy, regular posts and updates that provide your readers with exceptional quality content and regular contributions to the social media conversations that result in order for you to set your brand apart from the competition.
