Content Marketing - The basics

Penning down a small article on Content Marketing – The basics.

Do let me know your views on the same.

Good content adds on exponentially to your marketing efforts. Today the buzz word in marketing circles is “Content Marketing”. Whilst it is the most talked about, the effort and the execution in that field is far from what it should be. Unfortunately, a lot of marketers start a content campaign and expect for dramatic change almost immediately. And when that doesn’t happen, it is often shelved or the efforts are then steered poorly. This is true for most companies. However there are some, which over a period of time have excelled in their content strategy and today are reaping exceptional results. Some of the notable names which have done exceedingly well include Orbit Media, Investopedia, Hubspot and Ted to name a few.

So what is common across these companies - These companies have used content to be their moneymaker. If we study them very carefully they have used content to be their sales pitch their billboard their brochure, and portfolio –all rolled into one. They have a very clear defined structure and most importantly a sustained flow of quality and effective content keeping in mind their target audience. Most importantly they have a very clear defined plan in place - An optimised content development plan.

Companies which have a strong content architecture and in addition, have the power of simplicity tend to do really well. In short your content plan should have the ability to reach your target audience organically while also appearing to be tailor made. It should inspire trust thus leading to converting your visitors into paying customers.

One should also plan very carefully the communication medium of your content. One should have more than one medium to be able to reach more effectively and efficiently. Some of the different mediums include Blog articles, Newsletters, Infographics and memes, Videos and Tutorials and courses. Also be sustained in your efforts. Give it time.

Now never ever forget the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in all that you do in content marketing. Your ability to reach out organically effectively and efficiently is directly related to your efforts in SEO.

? Make sure all your web content is indexed.

? Be sure to use proper formatting tags (H1, H2, etc.)

? Keep individual page URLs short and use dashes to separate words.

? Learn to rank for Google. Produce authoritative content and Google will prioritize your content.

? Regularly perform keyword research. That means using tools like SEMrush to find the best and most relevant keywords for your content.

? Keep up with changing trends. SEO marketing changes all the time. It pays to stay abreast with industry experts.

The best content strategy with good content will stimulate interest, and will leave customers wanting for more. Make content marketing the heart of your marketing strategy and reap the benefits in the longer term.

Happy reading!