On average, B2B marketers devote 26% of their total marketing budget to content marketing. While that percentage may be far less than brands spent on traditional marketing, it does illustrate that brands of all sizes are recognizing the value of content marketing.
This post will not only provide marketers with a clear explanation of content marketing, it will also explore outline the goals of content marketing, and illustrate how this strategy works.
Now that you know how to define your aims and create a standard content marketing strategy, it’s time to take a closer look at the most common goals you’ll want to achieve.
While there’s no denying that content marketing can be an effective part of a marketing strategy, it does present a number of challenges. For starters, with so many competitors, how do you make sure your content stands out? Or, what do you do if you don’t have access to tons of resources? Other challenges include figuring out how to produce quality content consistently, adapting to the needs of your audience, and having the patience to let the campaign work.
What makes you stand out from the competition? A logo or tagline may be a start, but making sure that consumers recognize and remember your brand also means creating incredible and valuable content in the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, etc. This is so important for marketers that 84% have responded that brand awareness is their main goal.
That may sound easier said than done, but when composing content designed to help spread brand awareness keep the following tips in mind:
83% of marketers view lead generation as their second most important goal, according to the Content Marketing Institute. A good place to start is by optimizing your landing page with short registration forms and clear CTAs. But, what will be the content you create on and the landing page? Here are some suggestions.
Product video: Place a video on the landing page that shows exactly what your product or service does.
Email marketing: Create personalized email messages to previous customers.
Blog: Create content that shares relevant tips, ideas, or advice to showcase your expertise.
Use social media marketing: Create a poll or ask a question or to share with your audience on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or wherever your audience spends their time.
Help and Educate Customers
What do you believe is the main reason you can’t convert a sales lead? It’s fear. Which is why you need to develop trust - so your leads can get past their fear. You can start to build a report with your audience by producing a lot of valued content. If you sell lumber, for example, then why not create an instructional video that shows viewers how to build a deck?
You can achieve the trust of customer by answering questions on sites like LinkedIn or Quora, or writing a guest post on an industry-leading site. As for content that can improve your credibility, you could host a webinar, interview a thought leader on a podcast, or conduct research that you use to create an info graphic.
One of the best examples of creating and distributing content to raise your status in the industry is all the content Copy blogger has generated since 2006. Created by Brian Clark, who had been building businesses with content marketing since 1998, Copy blogger began as a one-man blog to teach others how to create amazing online content. Copy blogger has since grown into a multi-million dollar media company that features:
Copy blogger uses this content to help give customers a reason to purchase its products, such as the Rainmaker Platform and Synthesis, because it has proven to be one of the leading authority igures when it comes to content marketing. When you prove you are an industry leader, it not only continues to build trust, it also shows your audience you have the knowledge and skills to address their wants and needs.
Engagement is another content marketing goal marketers have made a priority. Most marketers can begin to increase customer engagement by simply responding to customers. For example, if someone has a question or suggestion to a blog post you have recently published, then taking the time to address that individual will open up the opportunity for you to build a relationship with them.
Remember, consumers don’t want a sales pitch, and they don’t want to purchase from a faceless corporation. They want information that can better their lives. By putting yourself out there and connecting with them, you are adding a human touch to the content they have been searching for.
There are obviously more than five goals for content markers, which is why we’ll take a brief look at eleven other popular content marketing goals.
Enhance Customer Experience: Make your customers happy and better their lives with useful content.
Acquire Talent: You want team members who are enthusiastic about your product. After discovering your content, a talented person should want to join your organization because they support your goals.
Showcase Products or Services: What does your product actually do? Content can demonstrate exactly what your product does and how it can help customers.
Strengthen Customer Loyalty: Your loyal customers will become your biggest champions and will refer others to your business.
Entertain Customers: Creating an article or visual aid that makes others laugh, for example, is an effective way to attract customers and increase shares.
Overcoming Objections: Create content addressing questions or concerns customers may have about your product or service.
Help Search Engines Find You: Blogging frequently gives web sites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links.
Attract Strategic Partners: Finding the right partners can help introduce your brand to a new audience.
Build a Community: Another way to build trust since potential consumers will consult a community before making a purchase.
Link Acquisition: Use quality content to earn links from influential websites in your industry.
Develop New Ideas: Maybe you have never hosted podcasts, but after giving it a try, you discover a positive reaction - and now you have a leading podcast in your industry.
No matter your exact content marketing goal, if you clearly define your objectives and share it with the right audience, you’ll be able to make meaningful connections - which means more revenue. Share this article on various Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ with your friends and colleagues so that they would also get benefited from it.
We truly care about our users and our product.