Why start content marketing?
Traditional marketing is pretty much dead. People have become so adept at using the Internet that online banner and button ads are virtually ignored. They fall into the background and just become “white noise” that gets tuned out by the user. This is why content marketing has become the key to digital marketing success. Content marketing is essentially an online campaign of relevant and valuable information targeted towards your audience. It is an ongoing process of changing and enhancing consumer behavior.
Online messages are abundant. So how do you help consumers find and choose your business over your competitors? You create content that your customer needs and wants.
Actor Kevin Spacey spoke at Content Marketing World this year and used his career as a metaphor for online content marketing. Spacey said the top things to keep in mind when trying to tell your “story” or to sell your content are:
- Conflict It keeps people engaged in your story. People want complexity these days. By identifying a particular pain or struggle they may be dealing with and offering solutions, you position yourself as an expert advisor.
- Authenticity What is it that makes something feel genuine to an audience? Staying true to your brand voice will make your audience respond with enthusiasm and passion. When consumers and potential clients know that you aren’t just trying to sell them something but sincerely want to impart information, they will listen.
- Audience If you give people what they want, when they want it and at a reasonable price, then chances are they won’t steal the product or seek out an inferior product. People want the best that their money can buy. Impart knowledge and explain the why’s and how’s of what makes your service or product special and unique.
Let’s use Jared from the Subway commercials as an example of the above information. You may remember him as the Subway aficionado known for his significant weight loss through his self-constructed “Subway Diet.” He shared his struggle with weight loss, and used his life as a case-study endorsement as to how Subway sandwiches truly were beneficial. By the end of the Jared campaign, Subway sales had more than doubled. Jared left the Subway spotlight as their spokesman in 2005, and when he did sales dropped 10 percent.
Why did sales drop? Because people identified with Jared’s story. He was a real person with real issues. There is conflict, authenticity and an audience here. Subway promotes a healthy lifestyle and Jared proves that Subway can help you be healthy because he ate only Subway sandwiches and lost a substantial amount of weight. So the audience here is anyone who wants to stay or become healthier. And that’s just about everyone, right?
Content marketing success has a lot to do with distribution as well. I heard this process being described as “becoming a digital dandelion”. In this case we’ll pretend a dandelion is a flower instead of a weed because the content is helpful and welcomed by consumers.
So where is the best place to start scattering your proverbial seeds?
The answer is wherever your target audience is spending the most time. This is where social media, blogs and mobile apps play a huge role in your content marketing strategy. There are tons of examples of companies using social media outlets to reel customers in. And almost every company has an app or a mobile website that supports their overarching goals and objectives.
Lowe’s Home Improvement does a great job of this with their “FixInSix” web videos. The company publishes 6-second videos of useful household tips on a social media platform called Vine where over 100 million people are scrolling through videos each day. They don’t try to sell anything with this content. The focus is one thing: helping their potential customers.
Another example is Remuda Ranch, the world’s premiere treatment hospital for eating disorders, and a Mediaura client. They maintain both blogs and social media profiles that are leveraged to discuss different issues that affects their patients and those at risk of disordered eating habits. They address these issues in a myriad of ways, from the professional medical point of view, the average individual, as well as those who have successfully recovered and wish to share their experience. By doing so, they have seen a dramatic increase in their intake conversions and inquiries from Internet and Social media users.
The moral of the story? You only get back whatever you put in.
If you put in the value, you’ll get it back in return. And building a content bridge from other locations on the web will eventually bring people to your site. By communicating with your customers and prospective customers without trying to sell them anything, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. Which, should ultimately result in business and loyalty. Regardless of your tactics, digital marketing is impossible without great content.
Mediaura Can Guide Your Content Marketing
At Mediaura we know that value of effective content marketing. Our team of digital marketing experts can help guide and show you the best platforms for your message, as well as help create your content through our team of content marketing specialists.
We know your brand is the best, so let us show you how you can make the rest of the world see that too.
If you would like to learn how Mediaura’s content marketing services will benefit your business, contact us or give us a call at 502-554-9649. A member of our team will be happy to assist you.
