Content is the new black in the marketing world.
Content marketing is an inbound marketing approach that believes in attracting leads rather than chasing them. Content marketing integrates online marketing tools like web analytics and SEO to attract, nurture and target potential consumers.
In recent years, online content consumers have become intolerant towards intrusive marketing – and as of 2015, 200million internet users have installed various ad-blocking software.
To overcome this issue, marketers have come up with another option, i.e., native advertising. It is a form of advertising where the ad matches the platform’s content upon which it appears.
Content marketing is a great approach that targets the consumers without interruption; it’s a non-intrusive marketing method that engages the prospects by creating and publishing quality content that suits their needs.
The following table will help you understand the tools, techniques, and amplification strategies involved in a content marketing campaign:
|
Online Tools |
Content samples |
Platforms For Amplification |
|
Web Analytics |
Blogs |
Social Media |
|
SEO |
Whitepapers |
Websites |
|
– |
eBooks |
Guest Posting |
|
– |
Press Releases |
Email Marketing |
However, generating organic traffic through content marketing requires patience and high-quality, SEO-enriched publishing content. To ensure high lead generation, a marketer should take the following measures:
Design Your Content Keeping The Buyer’s Journey In Consideration
A customer has become aware and does thorough research before purchasing. Therefore, a content marketer should study different stages of a buyer’s journey and publishing content accordingly.
Initial Stage: Looking For Awareness
The prospect is currently experiencing a problem and is seeking education awareness, looking for a solution. This is the perfect time to establish your brand presence by publishing content that can generate web traffic.
At this stage, you should provide your prospects with:
- Analysis Reports
- eBooks, White Papers, and Blogs
- Expert Reviews
- Educational content
- Press Releases
- Checklists
- Infographics
Mid-Stage: Service Consideration
The mid-stage phase is where a marketer can convert traffic into promising leads. By this stage, the prospect has defined his problem and is considering all possible solutions. The consumer is now involved in extensive research looking for all the services available.
A marketer can cash on the opportunity by publishing content like:
- Case studies regarding the product
- Webinars
- Podcast
- Expert Advice
- Comparison Blogs
- Whitepapers
- Testimonials
The main target at this stage should be lead generation; therefore, a marketer should help the prospect by differentiating his product from the rest.
Final Stage: Purchase Decision
By this time, a prospect has conducted research and enlisted all the possible services that can help resolve the problem. Now he is shortlisting from the different PEO services that he has initially jotted down.
A content marketing campaign should be reinforcing to impact prospects’ final decisions. With a sole motto of generating sales, publishing content should include:
- Product Comparisons
- Free Trial Offers
- Live Demos
- Product Literature
- Free Consultations
Post Purchase Stage
A content campaign should convert a customer into a loyal one. At this stage, client nurturing is the key goal of the strategy.
The content strategist should publish:
- Content For Free Trials
- Consultations
- Free Tools/Offers
The effectiveness of a market campaign relies on its tendency to retain a client’s interest, so it can help generate further lead generation.
Research Is The Backbone of Any Content Strategy
Smart campaigns are backed by extensive research. Without an in-depth market analysis, it is impossible to create a content strategy to boost lead generation.
To write successfully, research extensively!
Content that lacks research is unable to interest the target audience can never generate leads no matter how well-written it may be. When creating niche-specific content, you need to be aware of the specific aspects of the market and targeted segment.
- Basic information like sex, age, and socioeconomic class, etc.
- Cultural values and norms
- Psychographics
- Most favored type of content
- Motives of a potential customer
Research backs up the content through facts and figures that make your work’s credibility cloud nine. A speculated content – be it in any form – lacks the charm to convert a prospect into a loyal customer.
Keywords Are the Key to Success
Keywords are the easiest and most effective to unlock the secrets of your consumer’s interest. They act as a bridge between consumers’ search patterns and the information that your content offers.
Keywords can help generate tremendous organic traffic to your website only if they are utilized correctly. A slight difference between your elaboration and your consumer’s understanding can attract unwanted audiences to your website that can set back the entire campaign.
To generate organic traffic, marketers need to know: how their consumers think, what kind of language they use and what sort of content they are seeking.
Content Rich Landing Page
The first impression of the landing page will get you impressions on your website!
A landing page having apt call to action buttons are ad campaign boosters. Remember, people looking for something online are anything but patient. They skim through the content; landing pages with attractive and compelling headlines gain prospects’ attraction with ease.
A popular blogging forum, HubSpot, reports that companies that increased their landing pages from 10 to 15 saw a 55% increase in their leads. Another report suggests companies with 40 landing pages generate 12 times more leads than the ones with 15 pages.
A quick tip for marketers who want to increase their landing pages’ effectiveness is to put the most important message right away. Your landing page should be covered with your product/service’s benefits and features if you want your consumer to be hooked by your content.
Content Creation
Content that generates leads is always research and data-based. To fully utilize the potential of content marketing campaigns, marketers must understand the needs of the audience that is being catered to.
An article published by CopyBlogger states that 8 out of 10 people will read the headline, while only two will read the rest of the content. It means that a marketer has only 10 to 15 words to hook his prospect, and if used wisely, these words are more than enough.
According to DemandMetric, content marketing is three times more effective than traditional marketing methods and costs around 60% less. Due to this inbound marketing technique’s high success rate, around 90% of organizations have started using content in their marketing strategies.
Content creation is not a single step but a long process that requires wholehearted effort from the marketing team.
Content Distribution Channels
Once you are finished finalizing your content, you need to decide which digital channels you will be showcasing it on. There are only two ways in which you can post your content on social media platforms:
- Paid campaigns
- Organic Reach
For a paid approach, you need to invest money and time for another. The quality of your produced content will generate organic reach, but it will take time. If you want quick results, then running paid ad campaigns across the relevant digital mediums is the best bet for you.
Only invest in the popular mediums among your target audience; otherwise, you would be wasting your hours of effort on the unwanted traffic.
Content marketing is a sea, and to thoroughly understand the magic of this inbound marketing strategy, one must be keen enough to seek more knowledge about the tools that can help you ace your content marketing campaigns. At the end of the day, curiosity is what drives us towards success!
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