Quality content is the key to marketing success. Whether you are a B2B or B2C operation, engaging your potential leads begins with content. However, more than just blogs, infographics or videos, your content needs to be thoughtful. It needs to be value-added content.
Value-added content is any unique, original, or exclusive content or information that your audience cannot get anywhere else. This can include case studies, research studies, white papers, promotional offers, tutorials, and blog posts as well as other forms of online content. The important thing is that the content delivers your audience a message or imparts knowledge that they likely won’t find elsewhere.
So how do you continue to create content that is worthy of your audience on a regular basis? We have 5 top tips to guide you towards producing high-quality content that your audience wants to read.
-
Understand Your Content Objectives
You need to define your objectives in terms of what impact/message you want your content to deliver. Many businesses lose their focus and publish content that has little to do with their values, philosophy or even brand. Marketing objectives should always predetermine the creative phase.
If you can create an underlying value proposition that all content must adhere to, you are more likely to create content that supports your business goals. Your content is a lure for potential clients and a hook for loyal customers.
-
Understand the Customers’ Perspective
When creating content, think about how you would like to receive the information. Would you prefer a ‘how-to’ video guide, an infographic that shows data or a blog that makes information easy to follow? When you put yourself in the place of your intended audience, you can produce content that is more likely to connect with them and answer questions.
Conducting a survey to discover customer insights is an effective way to gather some information. While you might think people are interested in watching demonstration videos, they might prefer an infographic guide. Remaining open to change and being responsive to feedback ensures that your audience demands are met.
-
Use Your Data
Marketing data is a valuable tool that is usually gathered via CMS. These analytics should be sued to inform your content, from subject matter to type. If your traffic is responsive to bold text and bright images, use them to attract readers on a regular basis. If your white papers attract a large audience, be sure to have it sent automatically to subscribers. Use segregated data to target emails at the right audience for your promotion, subject or product.
-
Create an Engagement Opportunity
Audiences want to ‘like’, share and comment on value-added content. It invites audience members to become part of your community, promote you as an industry leader and ultimately identify with your brand. By asking customers for examples or suggestions in the comments section, they are led to feel valued. By providing a link to share your content on their social media they can show others that they identify with your brand, which could lend an air of prestige or ‘insider’ knowledge to their status.
-
Consistency is Key
Like anything in business, consistency is key. Your content needs to follow a plan that includes the promotion of upcoming events and products or services, as well as the promotion of your brand through regular value-added content.
Creating an editorial calendar is important. It gives you a framework to understand the flow of your content message. It also gives you space to make fast changes or include last-minute updates without stress. Your editorial calendar should be well-managed and customer-focused. Following the 80/20 rule, your calendar should focus on contributing to the discussions in your industry or achievements of your business, while you should only promote your brand directly on a lesser basis.
Final Thoughts
Creating content that means something to your audience is not difficult if you are creative about the format and subject matter. Your content should aim to answer questions in a way that explores topics and presents something new and interesting, or covers old ground in a new and interesting way.
Your content is your lead generator. It is vital to your online success, so understanding what your audience is seeking and answering their questions will translate into sales and loyal customers.
