What Is Content Marketing? Everything You Need to Know

Content marketing has been a very popular phrase lately. There are more, and more people involved in content marketing, and 89% of all B2B marketing strategies are just content. Although we first think of a blog, video content, and the like, content marketing has existed for much longer and is an approach that requires a lot of effort, time, and consistency.

In this content, we will see in detail what content marketing is, why it is helpful and how you can start using that approach.

What is content marketing?

There are many definitions, and we decided on the definition of the Content Marketing Institute:

"Content marketing is a strategic approach in marketing focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined target audience and as the ultimate goal to provoke profitable action with the audience."

Content marketing uses storytelling, that is, telling a story in a way that holds attention, and gives helpful interesting information about a specific topic or area.

Storytelling

Is Storytelling an Art or a Science? It can certainly be viewed as both.

Storytelling is one of the oldest human skills, both intellectual and emotional. Everyone is familiar with the custom of transmitting various stories from folk literature, which traveled from mouth to mouth for centuries and years, only to be written down later.

Stories have always been a way of communication. It is human nature that a person likes to listen to them and connect with stories in a special way.

That is why one of the trends in digital marketing is Storytelling - a powerful tool with which you can develop content on social networks.

Here are some tips for implementing Storytelling into content:

• Explore the way others use this type of content (of course, don't copy, but try to find inspiration in it).
• Know that your story will not be the same as ours or the story of the competition. Everyone will give their stamp in their way, which is very important in this.
• Select the topic or post through which you want to tell the story.
• See how your audience likes it and continue in that rhythm.

Why content marketing?

In addition to giving your audience valuable content, content marketing contributes to branding you position yourself with the audience as experts in your field. It contributes to the growth of the community, and potential customers and increases site visits. It also increases the number of conversions, which is, after all, the ultimate goal.

Content marketing contributes to the loyalty of your users, they come back to look at your new content and share it with their friends if it is interesting to them and thus works for you. On the other hand, every new content on your site improves optimization and your position in search engines.

What kind of content is there

What first goes through your head when you hear content marketing? Blog articles, some videos, and posts on social networks. You are right, these are types of content, but they are not all. Content comes in many forms, and we will go through each of them, starting with the ones you know, which are not used so often.

Blog

A stand-alone website that is maintained regularly publishes content on a clear topic and gathers the audience around a given topic or area - a blog. A blog is technically the easiest to start, and if you do not hire a writer, very cheap but one of the hardest pieces of content to create. Blog articles are the most popular and widespread form of content marketing along with social networks, and if done well, they can have significant advantages.

 I recommend that you read: 12 Tips How to Write SEO Content in Blogger - SEO Writing Guide

A blog can be internal, external, personal, or corporate, focused on topics from a certain industry, a special niche, and so on. It can be used to promote a company, product, personal promotion, news, etc. What makes a blog complicated is the way it is written. It is important to find a tone and way of communication to please the audience, to find, research, and describe well the topics that interest them and do it over and over again. Consistent and with a clear goal.

Video Recordings

Probably the biggest trend today when it comes to content types. Video has an excellent ratio of invested money and results, and the audience today likes to watch a short video of a high production where the essence is clear to them.

In addition to quality recording equipment, you also need an experienced video editor who will pack the recorded material into a short video with side effects and place it with the audience it can be expensive to start with this type of content, but it is certainly very cost-effective.

Social Media Marketing

The blog is the most widespread form of content marketing. Social networks have long ceased to be a global phenomenon but are part of our daily lives, and companies use social networks to develop their audience, build relationships with them and share information about their business.

Through interactive content such as images, videos, etc., you can establish contact with the audience and often invite the audience to participate in creating content.

Infographics

A combination of raw data, interesting graphics, and information in a drinkable format. Infographics give you the ability to easily convey numbers and boring statistics and after all, everyone loves a good infographic.

Pictures and photos

A picture speaks more than a thousand words, and a good picture or photograph does it in a great way. You can tell your story with a photo or a picture that evokes emotions in the audience.

Paid ads

Although paid content can reach more people than most of all other types of content, it increases sales or conversions, but for that to happen, the content must be of high quality to interest the audience and make them learn more about your product or service.

Podcasts

Content that is expanding due to the ease with which it can be consumed. This type of content can be more expensive to get started with but, it contributes to the brand, the trust of the audience, and the promotion of both products and services, as well as the promotion of the company.
NewsLetter

This type of content marketing can be similar to a blog, it is regularly sent to a pre-compiled mailing list with information about news in the company or with educational content that is useful to the public. Be careful not to send the newsletter without permission or spam.

Games and quizzes

Gamification, as a term has been around for quite some time, and you can also use it to activate your audience with an interesting quiz or a simple game. This has proven to be a great method to engage the audience, and this type of content marketing is on the rise.

Case study, Whitepaper, E-books, articles

This type of content marketing is very effective when you are looking for something in return from your audience, like email addresses for a mailing list. Case study about one of your clients, whitepaper, ie works on a topic where you conducted research with important conclusions, books in an electronic format that can bring value to your audience, or articles on interesting topics.

This type of content requires an expert to create it. They contribute to positioning yourself as experts in your field and that is why secret content must be precise and backed by knowledge and experience.

Webinars, events

The ability to listen to and watch a lecture on an interesting topic with the help of new technologies is certainly one of the most sought-after forms of content at the moment. Platforms like Skype and Zoom are now expanding, and popular webinars are being organized around the world, where organizations give value to their communities by inviting experts from various fields to share their knowledge.

What is good content?

This is of course a subjective category, it depends on the topic, the audience, and the author of the content. So think about what your audience wants to read / watch / and work on the general tone of your story. Good content can go viral or one that your audience will share and recommend. The one that leads to the conversion, for example, the text about a product you sell, can lead to a one-time increase in sales.

However, we believe that good content brings value to the audience when it satisfies their need for new information. When it is educational, fun, and generally when they enjoy it. A blog they want to read to the end, a video they want to watch again, a picture they will share with others. Start here with what content you like and find helpful.

How can you get started with content marketing?

Like everything in business, content marketing is the same process, and getting started with this approach requires planning, resources, and a lot of time. So let's see what these steps are:

Set goals

What do you want to achieve? That is the basic question you should answer. Do you want to increase sales, work on branding, attract new partners, engage your audience, etc? When you have the answer to that you know in which direction your strategy should develop. You need to be realistic when defining goals, if you are just starting with this approach, set simple goals. Set multiple goals for different deadlines: one year, 3 years, 5 years, or shorter deadlines, you know best your pace and your options.

Determine the KPI (Key Performance Indicators)

Key Performance Indicators, i.e. metrics must be clear and must show the level of achievement of the goal. If your goal is to increase sales, then track the number of conversions, conversion rate, and the like. Mostly the numbers are in question, but watching them grow with new content is exciting.

What kind of content will you create and place?

As you can see, several types of content can be distributed. Blog articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, etc. It is essential to choose carefully what type of content to place. Think about your audience, where they spend their time, what problems they have and how they otherwise get to your product or service.

Select distribution channels

When you choose the type of content, the channel is logical in 99% of cases, but there are times when you need to make some decisions. If you have decided to place content on social networks, determine which networks they are. As well as the type of content, the channel you choose must be the one where your target audience spends time, especially if it is the channel where they are used to receiving information from you.

Budget

You have set goals, you know what content you want to create you know which channels you will place it on. Congratulations, you have taken the first steps in setting up your marketing strategy. Now you need to set a budget. If you think you don't need it, answer the following questions. Do you need a studio and a recording camera? Microphones? License for Adobe programs? New employees to produce and share content like writers, photographers, designers, and the like? Advertising space?

Whichever type of content you choose, it requires resources. Explain the process of producing the selected content and see what you need and whether you need a team expansion or the purchase of equipment, the budget after that is not difficult to define.

Creation and distribution

If you have successfully done the previous steps then you have finished planning, it is time to produce the content you have chosen. For this, in addition to the resources, you also need a publication calendar, i.e. a content plan. When and what will be published. You should stick to the plan as much as possible, but small deviations are certainly expected. In the plan, in addition to the date and channel, there should be room for publication metrics. Reviews, comments, shares, etc. because that way you can track which content best suits your audience.

If you are just starting, it will take time to find your rhythm, tone, and style with which you tell your story, as well as time to gain a regular audience, for example, regular readers of the blog. You need to be patient and consistent with your content and let it work for you.

In the end - measurement

Measure the results of your content strategy, know your KPIs know your goals. This is the moment when you get measurable data about what you have achieved with your content, and you have the opportunity to set new goals and optimize your strategy.

Don't expect revolutionary changes content marketing is a slow and long process that builds your brand over time and makes it stronger. You will have ups and downs, and that is why the metrics are there to show you where you are wrong and which topics to focus on more.

Content marketing is the present, and future of marketing. It brings a lot but a lot and asks. It takes discipline, knowledge, and a lot of time and dedication. Our last piece of advice to you is to be original and unique because people today are bombarded with various content. Find a way to stand out and achieve your goals.