Content marketing is the critical centerpiece of a social media marketing campaign and it is essential to get it right. Consumers are no longer willing to listen to interruptive marketing nor do they want advertisers to tell them what they need to know about a product. Consumers are redefining how they’re learning about the products they’re interested in.
Creating content marketing is no longer optional, it is expected by consumers and must be done by companies if they are to succeed.
Developing good quality content is critical to your company’s success in content marketing.
Here are 10 essential tips to effective content marketing.
1. Start out strong. Write a title that grabs the attention of your readers, gets your potential buyers to read about your product and be compelled to buy.
2. Remain objective. This is content marketing and not sales marketing. There is a tendency at times to misuse content marketing to advertise products and services. Talk about the trends, tips, the industry, expert opinions, and views.
3. Stay original. Don’t copy and don’t plagiarize others. Write your own copy. Writing original content gives your company brand its own authentic voice, something that other brands will not be able to copy.
4. Make it make sense. Whatever you’re writing, ensure you can back it up with data, opinion, or facts. Always justify any opinion pieces with reasons or rationale. If you do not provide reasons or rationale, your piece will not make sense to your readers.
5. Keep it simple. Don’t use twenty dollar words when a two dollar one will work. Use words and phrases that are simple to remember and understand.
6. Do not sell. Again, this is content marketing which is different from advertisement. In this type of writing, the less sales, the more influential the brand will be in the consumer’s mind.
7. If selling, do it subtly. That said, the power of the understatement is strong in content marketing. Subtlety is a silent call to action in content marketing. People will be more convinced when they read an article that is objective about a service or a product and will want to learn more. They will want to learn more about the author of that article, so this is where you can link potential consumers indirectly to the company’s website social media page or contact page so they can learn more about the company brand.
8. Do not speak badly about the competition. Speaking ill of the competition does not look good for your company and potential consumers will see it as a lack of professionalism on your part.
9. Be positive. Speaking and writing with a positive tone can lead consumers to believe in your brand and your company.
10. Write to solve the problems of your potential consumers. Answer your consumers’ problems and questions. Place your consumers’ best interests first and your content marketing strategy will be headed in the right direction.
Content marketing should be an integral part of any company’s overall marketing strategy. It is the preferred way for many consumers to educate themselves on products and services today. Learn more about content marketing by reading through our content marketing category page.