Content marketing is the strategic marketing approach that focuses on all phases related to the planning, creation and distribution of content intended for the target audience of a brand or business.
This type of information has the ultimate goal of improving the emotional bond with the audience through the creation of resources that help:
- Better explain the product in terms of its characteristics, benefits or ways of use.
- Transmit brand values.
- Disseminate information of interest to the audience that helps improve the link with potential clients.
Why Is Content Marketing Important?
In response to the increasingly less effective and excessively aggressive traditional marketing actions, inbound marketing appears. Content marketing actions fall within this category and use communication media to relate to the consumer. In addition to increasing the reach of the brand, content marketing serves to:
- Educate the consumer.
- Improve conversion rate.
- Receive feedback from the end customer immediately.
- Strengthen emotional ties with the target audience through a feeling of community.
Types Of Content Marketing
In the messages that a brand can launch through content marketing, there are different tactics depending on the type of platform or format chosen and the impact it wants to have. The most frequent are:
Content on social networks
Using them allows you to create a direct and close dialogue with the consumer, while segmenting it according to the type of business and the audience you want to have.
Social Media Content Marketing Example
The Instagram platform is ideal for business brands, but it can also be useful for almost any business that has something to say and a service to sell. Below are some examples of how Nike uses content on Instagram and is successful.
Nike publishes different content. From the use of “emotional + objective = success” messages in image 1; use “lifestyle + values = brand” like image 2; or “woman + sport = triumph” in image 3. The objective is clear, to attract a clearly defined audience that identifies with these types of “moments”.
Infographics
Infographics do not allow you to interact with the audience, but they transmit the message visually and directly. Although they are not exclusive to social networks, they are easy to share and, as such, have the potential to go viral and reach a large number of consumers.
Blogs
This inbound marketing tool is very powerful for sharing information with an informative purpose, whether to convert readers into consumers, inform our clients or establish a relationship with the audience.
Blog Content Marketing Example
PrestaShop has a blog that shares information related to e-commerce. Whether it is about ecommerce news, tips and trends, etc., your blog is the best source of information about this ecommerce platform. Additionally, it continually posts content to keep users interested and active.
Podcast
Its functions may be similar to those of blog content, but in audio format. This style of content is becoming fashionable and more and more users consume it to be informed or entertained.
Podcast Content Marketing Example
This type of digital audio content available online is an alternative way for your potential clients to learn about new topics and expand knowledge anywhere, anytime. The PrestaShop podcast is perfect for learning about e-commerce.
Videos
According to HubSpot research, more than 50% of consumers are interested in watching videos about the products they buy or their favorite brands. Among the types that work best, we can highlight: product demonstrations, tutorials, explanatory videos, advertisements, corporate, success stories and video blogs.
Video Content Marketing Example
In recent years, video has become one of the best formats for content marketing, since it allows you to better capture the user’s attention and makes it easier for them to assimilate and understand the information.
Payment
Although content through inbound actions is increasingly popular, it does not reduce the effectiveness of paid actions.
Paid Content Marketing Example
The organic traffic created by content and inbound marketing is increasingly useful among all types of companies. However, paid content and ads are also effective in reaching the people we care about most at the right time.
How To Create a Content Marketing Strategy
Now that the different ways in which a content strategy can be executed have been clarified, all that remains is to know what steps must be taken so that the actions meet their objectives and achieve effectiveness.
- Set smart goals
These objectives must be specific to the business and aimed at improving strategic KPIs, depending on where our business is. The goals may be to increase sales in general, improve the rotation of a certain product or the brand image, among others.
- Determine KPIs
Just as KPIs have been used to identify areas for improvement, we must know which indicators will reflect the effect of actions on results.
- Choose content channels
Knowing the objectives and the audience, the most appropriate way is chosen to get the message across: social networks, blogs, videos, etc.
- Decide on the type of content
Another important decision for the effectiveness of the content campaign is to choose a format that is suitable for the audience to reach and that also facilitates dissemination.
- Set a budget
This is essential for any campaign, since it helps in decision making and measuring results in terms of profitability.
- Create and distribute content
To be successful in this action, it is important to create a calendar that adjusts each publication to the objectives of the strategy.
- Analyze and measure results
In the business world, what cannot be measured does not exist. For this reason, it is essential to track KPIs during and after use, to quantify the effect.
By following all these steps and with proper planning you can work successfully with content marketing; a great help to achieve the objectives.
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