Hi, I'm Jen from Starchelle Communications. Today, I'm discussing content marketing—what it is and why it's essential for your business. Content marketing is the information you share with your audience—offering value, information, or entertainment, rather than just promoting products or services
In simple terms, it's about providing your audience with value, information or entertainment that meets their needs and interests rather than just promoting your products or services. You might be interested to know that content marketing isn't a new idea. An early example of content marketing comes from John Deere in the 19th century with their magazine, The Furrow. It provided useful tips to farmers, offering value without directly promoting their products. It gave them ideas on tips and tricks on what to plant. What new crops are coming through, and any of the information that they might find useful. As you can see, this is a perfectly timed example of information to customers that they need, but isn't actually promoting John Deere's tractors or services to them.
CONTENT MARKETING BREAKDOWN
So content marketing can be broken down into three main sections:
Content creation
This involves creating videos, blog posts, images, podcasts—anything your audience finds valuable.
Content distribution
This is how you share your content—via social media, YouTube, or your website.
Optimisation
Ensure your content reaches the right audience by optimising for SEO and social algorithms
SO WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST IN CONTENT MARKETING?
KEY BENEFITS
First, it increases visibility, helping keep you top of mind with potential clients. It also boosts audience engagement and can generate leads by guiding customers through your sales funnel.
By producing this entertaining or educational content, it will increase the engagement amongst your ideal clients, therefore pushing your content further and further.
Effective content can also attract potential customers, leading them through your sales funnel. So it's brilliant for lead generation. If you're in an industry where you need to retain your customers, then this can also help keep customers coming back for more and more.
If you show a new way of using your service or product, or perhaps you're launching something new, then your customers will keep coming back to you for more more information.
It also helps to build your authority as an expert in your field by showing that you do know what you're talking about. People can like and follow you and learn more about you before they decide to purchase from you.
There are a couple of companies in the online world that do content marketing brilliantly. Take Red Bull’s quirky animations. You may notice that the slogan 'Red Bull gives you wings' ties the content together, even though the ads rarely promote the product directly. They all come to the same point, but they're not actually telling you to go and buy their product. All the people characters in their adverts are all doing something silly or daft or dangerous sometimes. And the Red bull gives them wings, gets them out of the tricky situation slightly closer to home.
For our industry, HubSpot has an amazing band of content, all to do with digital marketing and online marketing. Now, some of it isn't even related to the product that they sell, but because you know that they've got the huge wealth of information that you trust, that they are an expert in their field.
MYTHS ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING
A common myth is that content marketing is just blogging. In reality, it includes podcasts, videos, graphics—any content you create.
Another misconception is that it's quick and easy! Yes, producing a little video or sending a quick snapshot of a selfie out into the world can be quick and easy. But it's not going to hit home unless you have a properly thought out strategy and brand behind the marketing.
HOW TO GET STARTED ON YOUR CONTENT MARKETING JOURNEY
I would always start off by identifying your key audience. Now I know everybody always says that, but it really does make it easier if you know exactly who you're talking to. Many find it helpful to create an avatar or persona to visualize their target customer. This helps them understand what it is that the customer's problems are, what their solutions to the problems are, and how to speak to them so that they listen to you.
Now, I don't always go that far. I don't have an avatar of the person, but I do have a few different ideas of the sort of people that I'd like to work with. And that way when I produce my content, it talks to them exactly.
Next, set clear goals for your content—whether it's growing your email list, promoting a product, or increasing webinar attendance. Focus on metrics that matter, not just vanity numbers like followers or likes
What is it that you want your customers to do? Do you want them to sign up to your email list? Do you want them to purchase a small value product from you? Do you want them to come along to a webinar where they're going to learn more and perhaps purchase a larger value product, knowing what it is that you want to achieve will also help you when you're creating it.
WHAT METRICS SHOULD YOU TRACK?
I would try to say clear a vanity metrics such as followers or likes or engagement, because all of these things are so fickle and they can change on the flip of the coin. And just because that they've got some amazing followers doesn't mean that they've actually got any work. There are lots and lots of tools out there that you can use to help you monitor and track all of your different marketing goals.
Google analytics is a brilliant tool which shows how many people are on your website. Canva, I'm sure you've heard of, is great for graphics and social media content. Platforms like WordPress can be brilliant for blogging and loading your website into. And if you want to learn more The HubSpot Academy really is a brilliant place to start, with lots of different content in there.
In conclusion, content marketing encompasses everything you produce—whether video, audio, text, or graphics. It's all about building your expertise and engaging your audience. Stay tuned for my next blog on content marketing, and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out!
If you want to learn more about content marketing, be sure to check out my YouTube channel where I go into even more detail on this topic - and many others!
You can watch the video that goes along with this blog right here: (160) What is Content Marketing? | Content Marketing Explained - YouTube
Or explore my the whole series (160) Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing | Learn Content Marketing from Scratch - YouTube
Also, don’t miss out on even more helpful tips and insights! Join my mailing list to stay in the loop https://go.starchelle.com/mailinglist, or download my guide to kickstart your marketing strategy. It’s packed with actionable steps to help you create content that really connects with your audience.
Click here to get your free guide!