What is content marketing?
In simple terms, content marketing is about building relationships with your consumers and potential consumers. It is also more commonly known as inbound marketing. This is because you distribute your content on various brand channels such as blogs and social media. The content lives on these channels forever, for your audience to come to or discover on their own.
What is the difference between traditional/paid marketing and content marketing?
The main difference between the two is that in the former, you are selling a product/service and in the latter, you are selling the idea of a product or a service. In content marketing, you are showing the value of having a product or service to your customer without directly talking to them about said product or service.
Did you know that 70% of people would rather learn about a company through articles rather than an advert? Paid ads like television or print ads are usually seen without a choice. You sit through an ad and continue to watch your TV show. However, with content marketing, you are creating content for the audience to voluntarily read. You will share bits and pieces on various platforms which they can discover on their own.
For example, where did you come from to read this blog? Was it from our Instagram page? Or did you search for us? In either scenario, you chose to come here because you are following us on Instagram or because you searched for blogs about content management.
What type of content should your brand be producing?
Content is consumed in various forms, especially in this digital era. We have social media, websites, e-books, whitepapers, blogs, podcasts, and many others. Using these channels and so much more, you want to use content marketing is to engage with your audience and keep their attention in order to improve brand recall.
According to HubSpot, blogs are the primary three forms of media used in content strategies today. This would mean that your brand’s website should ideally have at least a blogpost a month. Your potential customers want to come back and read more, and if you are not posting regularly, you are more likely to lose their interest.
Additionally, producing content regularly helps you understand your customer better. You will be able to use analytics tools to gain insights on who is visiting your blog or social media channels regularly. While this is a long-term approach, it pays off in the end. You will know who your customers are and what they want. This will allow you to address their needs at a more personal level. After all, you want to keep your brand as human centric as possible.
Summary: Why should content marketing be included in your budget?
- It helps you retain your audience in the long-run
- Content such as blogs and social media help with brand recall
- It is affordable (if you compare it to traditional marketing)
- Consistent content helps with growing your audience
- It also helps understand your audience’s needs through analytics
- You are building long-term relationships with your audience
While it is important to include content marketing in your budget, knowing how to implement it correctly is more important. In our next blog, we will be looking at the 4 types of content your brand should be implementing.