What is Content Marketing?

What is Content Marketing?

In this day and age, content might include everything from meta descriptions to keyword phrases and SEO tactics to instructional videos and websites. How do you know what content means if there are so many examples? We dig into the specifics in this post. 

Content marketing definition

Content can refer to any medium from print, voice, video, and game advertisements. While this blog will mainly talk about digital content, there are numerous forms of offline content that businesses can use for marketing. Newspapers, magazines, radio ads, and billboards are examples of offline ways to reach your target audience. 

Online marketing comprises of print, video, and voice advertising that businesses use to reach a specific group of people. For example, a doctor in Manhattan might show a tour of his or her exam room in a video on the business site. This video serves to inform people of the technology the physician uses as well as provide a way to connect with the viewer to get them to make an appointment. 

How a content marketing company helps websites improve SEO results

Forbes says that creating information with value is the goal of content marketing. Other essential factors include using tidbits of data and items current to the person. Quality must remain unwavering to hold the attention of any online audience. People want to scan first, then find easy ways to reach more details at their discretion. 

Improving SEO starts with using the right terminology. Keywords are crucial to any webpage, blog, or article. Knowing where to place specific phrases and how often to use particular words is important in content writing. Using the top strategies can significantly improve site ranking for a business on the web. 

The details matter

Hidden parts of websites often drive traffic to company sites. Meta descriptions and tags capture the attention of web browsers and entice them to click on a link. Without a concise and clear message, many of these little pieces get lost in the mix.

Quality drives traffic

When people make it to your website, the content is critical. How you present your business, what you decide to share on your blog, and how long each page loads make a massive impact on the people who click on your site. Whether they stay or not depends on your contact marketing strategies and how they relate to the visitor. 

Examples of content marketing

• Snippets
• Videos
• List articles
• Click to post to social media
• Expert posts
• Research results
• Infographics
• Email campaigns
• Automated messages
• Chatbots
• Buyer's Guides
• Online templates
• Free promotions
• Webinars
• eBooks

Four steps to making purchases

Individuals make purchases according to a need or desire to buy something. Your brand must reach out to people and show them why your product or service is important. There are four steps to the buying process. Consumers buy things according to:

• Consciousness - Finding a solution to a plaguing problem
• Research - Learning more about new items that may solve a chronic issue
• Comparison - Checking out a new pool of products and services to compare them
• Purchasing - Committing to one brand and making the purchase

Why content marketing is important to businesses

People want to stay apprised of current news, changes, and other important details concerning their favorite brands and products. Businesses adding relevant information to the company site can keep people coming back to check out the newest posts. How fast the information pops on the website is crucial to keeping people on the page. No one wants to wait while a page fades into existence. Customers will move on to the competition in these cases. 

Commenting regularly on social media sites invites people to have a conversation with your brand. You can stay ahead of any problems with a social media manager who consistently monitors your pages and addresses concerns and questions. It only takes one upset customer to spread the word to five or ten friends to create a devastating campaign against the business. Content marketing specialists help companies to meet these issues head-on to cut down bad press and protect the reputation of the company. 

Niche marketing

Contact marketing means developing a deep relationship with the consumer and finding ways to stay in touch. Remaining in contact with consumers promotes lifelong loyalty to the brand. When the business sends a thank you message or a text saying Happy Birthday using the customer information, it forms an emotional connection to the purchaser. These marketing tactics help the business stay in the customer's mind should they or anyone else they know need the services or goods your business sells. It also helps tailor services to client needs. 

Successful marketing tactics

Every business must create a unique strategy for marketing. Not every tactic works for all firms. Some things that work for global brands are not useful for small businesses. Here is a popular strategy that successful firms use to reach consumers. 

Finding time to learn about your audience

Figuring out the people who are most likely to purchase your goods or book your services can take a little time. Regular feedback may end the frustration with this process. Taking surveys, asking opinions, providing a reward for feedback, social media polls, and reading blog comments can help a business to find out what is relevant to followers. 

Another tip is to advertise on multiple media outlets. Your consumers are mobile. Be sure to keep experiences on websites and mobile apps similar so that people are comfortable. People want to access your business quickly, so saturating the company on many platforms is critical. Content marketing drives business to your site. The quality of your online interactions matter if you intend to be successful.

About the Author

Craig Corbel is VP of Marketing at Solution Web Designs, a leading online web dsign and online marketing firm for small and mid-sized businesses. Learn more by visiting their website at Solution Web Designs.