How Can You Make Content Marketing Work for Your Business?

Content. It’s a word that’s thrown around quite a bit in the world of marketing these days...

The question is: just why is it such a hot topic and, more importantly, what steps can you take to make sure you have an effective strategy in place in order to ensure you’re getting the most out of content marketing for your business?

Let’s look at some facts. According to a recent E-Consultancy survey, over 90% of respondents believed that content marketing will become more important over the next 12 months, whilst fewer than half of companies have a budget or individual dedicated to content marketing. Clearly, there is a widespread recognition of the growing importance of content marketing but an apparent reluctance, or inability, to dedicate resources to it. 

With this in mind, it’s necessary to start off by pointing out that effective content marketing can be a key driver of traffic to your website. That’s because lead generation starts off in search engines with potential customers searching the web for information. Put simply, if you regularly upload new content containing relevant keywords to your site, you’re more likely to appear in search engine results, more likely to get customers visiting your website and ultimately more likely to maximise your revenue potential. Good news all round!

If you haven’t yet made content marketing a priority for your business, fear not, as it’s not too late to implement a content marketing strategy and reap the rewards for your business...

First off, make a content plan. Consider what your business goals are and consequently what content can help you achieve those goals. Make an editorial calendar to provide some structure, with clearly defined objectives to work towards. What’s most important about content marketing is that you ensure you allocate both time and resources into it. There’s no overnight quick fix. And as the old saying goes, if a jobs worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

Content marketing doesn’t have to be flashy or cost the earth to be effective but if it’s utilised in the correct way, it can help build a relationship with your customers based on trust. Content is all about continually connecting with and nurturing your customers using the right message at the right time, so that when they are ready to buy, you become their first point of contact.

Start off by getting the basics right...

Think about setting up a blog or posting engaging articles on your website regularly. Write about topics related to your business, try to be creative and think about what hasn’t already been written about. This builds trust between your customers and you, an important part of the nurturing process, and you will gradually come to be regarded as a valuable source of information. It doesn’t have to be daily but, 2-3 posts a week can really start to boost your search engine rankings, help drive traffic to your website and reinforce your brands positioning within the minds of your customers.

Email should not be overlooked as it will also form an essential part of your content marketing plan. By delivering timely, relevant messages you can gradually nurture your customers and strengthen engagement with your brand. The great thing is that you can now use marketing automation software to send targeted messages to specific segments of your customer base at times chosen by you, gently leading your prospects to your site to make that all important purchase.

A regularly updated Facebook and Twitter page is another important dimension of content marketing...

The popularity of social networking is continually growing and provides you with a free platform from which to stay connected with and nurture your customers. It’s a good area to invest your resources in. Try to balance posts between product information and promotion, and interesting content related to your brand to encourage conversation between you and your customers. Chances are, by encouraging this kind of interaction the next time they need a product that you sell, your business will be the first thing that springs to mind.

With a properly thought out plan, you can really start to utilise content marketing to nurture your customers and build a long lasting and fruitful relationship. The aim of content marketing is to provide content keeps your customers engaged and ensures that they stay loyal to your brand. This is key to the long term future of your business and will ultimately impact on your bottom line.

To speak to one of the team at Livelink to discuss how we can help you nurture your customers through effective content marketing, click here