Content marketing – What is it?

If you are a regular visitor to my site, you know how important I think content marketing is.

But why? And how can you apply it in your own area? Come with me! ??

First, let’s get some concepts straight!

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is nothing more than creating valuable, relevant and consistent content that is designed to appeal to and retain your target audience (because you know exactly who your target audience is and you’re talking to them – not everyone).

Not just advertising, but delivering real value.

Think of content marketing as a bridge that connects your brand to the people you want to reach.

Why is content marketing important?

It is a key tool (even more a STRATEGY) because in today’s world people are inundated with information. Too much noise. Content helps you stand out from the crowd, builds brand loyalty and trust. Plus, when done right, content marketing not only attracts people to your brand, it keeps them engaged for the long term.

There are several reasons to engage in content marketing, as it has a number of benefits for both businesses and individual entrepreneurs. Here are some key benefits and reasons:

1. Branding: use content to showcase your company’s expertise, values and uniqueness. Consistent and quality content helps to increase the credibility and trustworthiness of the brand in the eyes of the target audience. You can capture the attention (and sell!) to someone who sees you authentic.

2. Increase engagement: useful and interesting content increase the engagement of readers, viewers or listeners, which can lead to loyal customers and followers in the long-term.

3. SEO benefits: High quality and relevant content can improve your website’s search engine ranking, which can lead to more organic traffic. So you also save money.

4. Increase conversion rate: content can help inform and guide readers through the buying process, increasing conversion rates.

5. Long-term ROI: Although content creation requires an upfront investment, high-quality content can generate traffic and value over the long term without you having to keep spending money.

6. Reaching a targeted audience: content marketing allows you to reach specific audiences, which is more efficient and cost-effective than traditional mass media advertising methods (although the latter are also very important, for example I don’t advertise “myself”, but my content online and in print).

7. Interact with your audience: through content, you can connect directly with your audience, giving them the opportunity to give feedback, ask questions and interact. Not to mention that you, as a representative of your brand, can get closer to them, share more personal stories, humour…

8. Supporting the decision-making process: informative and educational content can help potential customers to make informed decisions, which increase confidence and purchase propensity.

9. Competitive advantage: Companies that engage in content marketing can gain an advantage over their competitors, especially if competitors do not use it or use it less. And if it is already in use, it is mandatory. Who wants to be left behind? Because it’s not worth it.

10. Diversified marketing strategy: content marketing can complement and reinforce your other marketing activities, such as social media marketing, email marketing or paid advertising.

Content – Content – Content!

People often confuse content marketing with SEO, because they are both based on (better still, relevant and unique) content, but they are different. Content marketing and SEO are two different but often intertwined online marketing strategies. Both are designed to increase the visibility and traffic of a website, but they approach this goal in different ways and with different focuses.

But then what is SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the optimisation of websites and content to achieve better rankings in search engine results. SEO and content marketing are intertwined, as excellent content increases website traffic, which in turn improves SEO.

Content marketing:

– Purpose: The purpose of content marketing is to create content that provides value to the target audience by informing, entertaining, persuading or educating. The content can be a blog post, video, infographic, podcast, e-book, etc.

– Benefits: quality content can help build brand credibility and expertise, and increase audience engagement

SEO:

– Goal: The goal of SEO is to increase a website’s visibility in search engines to attract more visitors from organic search results.

– Benefits: higher search engine rankings can bring more visitors and potential customers to your website.

How do content marketing and SEO work together?

Content is the “queen” of SEO. Why? Because search engines like Google prefer valuable and relevant content.

1. Keywords: keywords used in content created during content marketing increase your website’s visibility in search engines. Proper keyword research is essential for developing an effective SEO strategy.
2. Link building: link building is a key part of search engine optimisation. Link building is the process of trying to get links from other websites to your own website. These inbound links (or “backlinks”) increase the credibility and authority of the website in the eyes of search engines, which can improve the page’s ranking in search results. A link from a high authority site is much more valuable than a link from a low authority site. There are pitfalls here too, don’t buy links, be careful with large amounts of low quality or irrelevant sites.
3. User experience: search engines value sites that provide a good user experience. Excellent content that meets readers’ needs reduces the abandonment rate and increases time spent on the site. But here we are not just talking about the content itself (i.e. not just about a written text and how pithy and unique it is), but in a complex way! User experience (often abbreviated UX) refers to the feelings, perceptions and responses of users to a product, system or service. This includes the full range of user interactions, from how they get to know the product or service, through how they feel while using it, to the impression they are left with afterwards. So from aesthetics, to ease of use, to navigation, to loading time… So when you buy a pair of shoes, they should not only look good, but they should also be comfortable, because then you’ll be wearing them for a long time. A good user experience is key to the success of digital products and services. A well-designed UX can increase user engagement, improve conversion rates and foster long-term loyalty.

How can you apply content marketing and SEO in different sectors?

Let’s take a look at some examples, as you get used to it, from me! Maybe your sector will be one of them. ??

1. Health: Print: use informative brochures to introduce your health service, give tips for a healthy lifestyle or answer frequently asked questions. Online: you can inform your visitors with blog posts, videos and infographics on various health topics. And on social media, you can have live chats with experts.
2. Property: Print: produce full-colour brochures of the properties on offer, showing their benefits, surroundings and other key information. Online: video tours, blog posts about the home buying process or about the area. And on Instagram and Pinterest, you can lure potential buyers with inspiring images.
3. Gastronomy: Print: make menu cards that not only show food and drink, but also tell stories about their origins or preparation. Online: share recipes, make videos of food preparation or showcase your team on social media. Guests love to get an insight into the “kitchen”.

The point is that content marketing allows you to build a real relationship with your audience. It’s not just about selling them something, it’s about showing them how valuable they are to you.

What should you care for?!

Content marketing can be a very effective tool, but like any marketing strategy, it has its pitfalls. If left unchecked, these pitfalls can reduce the effectiveness of content marketing or even damage brand reputation. Here are some pitfalls and suggestions to avoid them:

1. Improperly defined target audience: if you don’t know your target audience, your content will not be relevant and useful to them. We always make it clear who the content is for and what their needs and interests are.

2. Inconsistent content production: inconsistent content production can reduce audience engagement and brand credibility. Plan ahead and create a content calendar. Yes, it does sound like a super hassle, but trust me, you’re helping yourself in the long term!

3. Low quality content: poor quality or sloppy content not only fails to deliver the expected results, but can also damage your brand and therefore your reputation. Strive for high-quality, valuable content.

4. Non-original content: copied content from others (apart from being unethical) can not only cause SEO problems, but can also undermine brand credibility. Always aim for original and unique content. Instead, post less and shorter, but let it be YOURS and no one else’s.

5. Not paying attention to measurement and analysis: if you don’t measure the performance of your content, you won’t know what works and what doesn’t. Simply no, that’s all ?? Use analytical tools and regularly evaluate your strategy.

6. Overly promotional content: if your content is too promotional (you’re just trying to sell) and offers little value, it can put off your audience. Content should first and foremost provide value, not overtly sell it.

7. Choosing the wrong content format: not all formats work for all audiences. Know your target audience and choose the most appropriate format, be it blog posts, videos, short posts … etc.

8. Neglected SEO: Content should not only be valuable, but also easy to find. Don’t neglect search engine optimisation.

9. Not responding to feedback: feedback from the public can provide valuable information. Listen to them and refine your strategy if necessary.

10. Not adapting to change: The world of digital marketing changes rapidly (practically daily). Be open to new trends, tools and techniques and adapt to them. If you fall behind, you’re out.

Knowing the pitfalls of content marketing and how to avoid them can increase the success of your strategy and minimise the risk of negative consequences.

There are people who specifically like to produce content, but what if someone doesn’t?

If you’re the type of person who doesn’t have the time or the call to create content (yes, it’s a steady job) , but still want to enjoy the benefits of content marketing and build a strong online presence, there are several options:

Outsource: if you don’t feel comfortable or don’t have the time to produce content, outsource it to professionals. Many freelance writers, graphic designers, videographers and other experts are available to help. Of course it’s not free, but it’s worth the investment! What important is that you hire people who really know their job. You don’t have to believe what they say at first, ask them for their previous campaigns, content, links to sites they are currently carrying.

Interviews and guest posts: if you don’t want to write your own content, invite others to write for your site or do interviews with experts.

Working with partners: work with partners or other businesses to jointly create or share content. (but it won’t just be yours!)

Focus on social media: if longer-form content production isn’t your thing (yes, it’s also much more time-consuming), focus on shorter social media content such as posts, images or short videos. (not compulsory to blog, but highly recommended)

Of course, you know the most about your business! You know your values. So, if you are going to work with others, it is important that you give them enough information, teach them who you are!

I hope you now see how important content marketing is! If you have further questions or need help developing your own content strategy, feel free to contact me!

Aletta Nagy-Kozma CEO, marketing specialist

Aletta Focus Marketing, Magyar Térképház Kft.