IT’S TOO SOON to write a eulogy for the humble blog. Sure, they started out as exhibitionistic digital diaries, but if you get blogging right, it can be a powerful part of your digital strategy. Still skeptical? Replace the word “blog” with “content,” and read on.
Content marketing is about creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to promote brand awareness among your ideal customers and keep your business top-of-mind. You want to transform website visitors into foot traffic.
“But Nobody Reads Blogs”: Actually, that’s not true. Consumers want to know more about your company and your brand. Buyers do extensive online research before visiting a store, and stores that make it easy to evaluate them are more likely to convert website visitors. The best content strategies tell stories about the product, the people behind the product, and loyal fans. Consumers also dig through your website looking for insights to who you are and what you stand for.
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Content Marketing Fuels Search: Content marketing is the tortoise in the hare-and-tortoise race. It slowly, steadily builds over time. Your content will attract visitors who are searching for something you offer or know a great deal about.
It Saves You Money: Content marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing. It requires investment in time and resources to understand what content will best meet your ideal customers’ needs, and you must publish something new at least once each week for the effort to pay off.
However, these costs are small compared to the investment required to compete in paid digital advertising. And unlike newspaper or radio ads, quality content continues to attract and engage prospects long after it’s published.
The steps to create a strong content strategy are simple:
- Study your best customers to understand who they are, what interests them most, and why they have chosen your business.
- Create a content calendar to plan and organize topics and maintain a consistent schedule.
- Use multiple content formulas. A mix of blog posts, videos, infographics and audio is ideal. When you post visual content, always provide written support, such as descriptions of graphics and transcripts for video and audio. This will improve SEO results and maintain accessibility compliance.
- Foster a sense of community by encouraging interaction. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and let your readers know you’re delighted to engage with them.
Do content marketing right, and it impacts SEO, builds trust with prospects, leads to store visitors, and helps retain customers. Too many websites are just expensive paperweights. Don’t let yours be one of them.
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