More and more businesses are using content marketing to help successfully generate leads. They are achieving this through creating valuable and informative digital content. So what is content, how do you create it, and how can your business benefit from it? We'd like to share three ideas which will answer these questions and help kick-start your content marketing to help you generate business online today.
'How To' guides
Have you ever tried to put Ikea furniture together without the instructions? You always end up fitting the legs upside down. Sometimes using a business' products/services can be confusing for customers. Helping your prospects understand how to use your products/services can help them overcome any potential challenges. This is why 'How To' advice is one of the most effective ways to help generate leads online. If you're selling software as a service, for instance, a 'How To' guide that demonstrates how to use your software to best effect will ensure that customers gain the most value out of using the service you're providing.
To see a real-life example take a look at this 'How To' guide, created for the telecom expense management (TEM) company Efftel. Their guide explains to potential customers how TEM can help businesses achieve significant savings in the area of telecom expenditure. The value that prospects gains from reading this digital publication aligns exactly with Efftel's service offering and can be used to open up a sales conversation. Using a 'How T'o guide to educate prospects and customers is an idea that transcends any industry.
Top Tips
We all love a top tips list. Buzzfeed have become one of the most visited websites in the world using the power of the top list of things, check out their '17 top tips for a better life' article for an example. This style can work nicely as part of your own content marketing. Using your experience, think of the five best pieces of advice you can give to a potential prospect. These can be used for the theme of a blog on your website or within an online forum. There are many possibilities here, what's important is to ensure that the information that you're sharing will provide real value to your prospects.
If you're wary of giving advice away for free however, sharing your knowledge will help prospects see you as an expert in your field, as well as someone who is helpful and trustworthy. Each of these elements form an important part of the decision making process for prospects considering purchasing your products/services.
Industry Infographics
If there's one thing we've learnt over the last few years it is that online users love statistics and pictures (especially pictures of kittens). Our brains are wired to process images more efficiently than text alone, which is why infographics have become so popular.
If you're not sure what an infographic is take a look at this example from antibacterial company Microban. The graphic explains why 'UK consumers are interested in antibacterial textiles'. The use of clear images and a strong statistics help prospects understand the benefits of using Microban technology. This infographic is used to educate Microban's target market on the benefits of their product and the value they can add.
With a little bit of thought it's not too difficult to come up with good ideas for infographics no matter what industry you work in. There are several applications available that can help you create infographics. You can try www.canva.co (free) or www.piktochart.com (paid) and see what you can come up with.
As promised here are three content marketing ideas that you can try today. If you want more ideas on creating valuable content why not download our free guide below that will provide lots of help? If you're still struggling to think of ideas for your industry then leave a comment and we'll get back to you with some advice.