Content marketing is a digital marketing tool that allows you to position your brand as a publisher and educator, while building your online presence. Creating free and valuable content for your target market arms them with information about your brand, and in some cases, offers you insights into their behaviours.
What is content marketing?
Blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, videos, e-Books, quizzes and user-generated content all fall under the content marketing umbrella. This content represents your brand, enhances your credibility, and strengthens your online presence.
At the same time, it should serve a real purpose to your target market. If it isn’t informing, entertaining, delighting or inspiring them, it’s not likely that they will engage with it. Consumers are very quick to recognise disingenuous and agenda-driven content, so it is important for your content to be genuine, insightful and engaging. Easier said than done!
What are consumers looking for?
A Nielsen study revealed that consumers are five times more dependent on digital content than they were five years ago, when it comes to researching and making a purchase decision. This means they are actively looking for and relying on content to inform them: who better to inform them about your product or industry, than you?
You can show consumers that you understand them by providing content that is equally engaging and educational. When content marketing is executed well, you can be their trusted source of information, via multiple platforms.
For example, your makeup brand could create a video showcasing your latest products through an on-trend video tutorial. They can learn more about your application tips and techniques with matching products through a series of email newsletters. If they read about which texture is best for certain skin types on your blog, and you can suggest which products of yours are a match. Your brand and your products can be there for every step of their information-gathering and purchase journey through content marketing.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
Content marketing ticks many boxes when it comes to nailing your communications strategy. It serves as a way to establish and build your brand’s reputation, promotes your brand as a credible voice, boosts search engine optimisation (SEO) and adds to your overall digital footprint.
When content is gated, it can also serve as an insight and data tool. The most common method to do this is by offering value-packed free resources that require the reader to hand over their email address or other information in exchange.
When content marketing strategies are executed successfully, they should meet your digital marketing goals – whether that’s to drive traffic, boost subscriptions or increase sales.