Do I really need a content strategy to speak my mind and bond with my clients? Couldn't I just let the words flow freely?
Don't let your upcoming experiences provide the answers to these questions.
Trying to convey your messages without a well-researched, documented content marketing strategy would be like trying to steer a ship without a helm. In this case you would probably drown in a sea of disparate content pieces that do not actually add value to your audience and don't do a great job at representing your business.
6 Reasons That Content Marketing Is Here to Stay
The good news is that it's never too late to see what successful content marketing is all about. According to a Forbes article, the content marketing industry was worth no less than $44 billion dollars in 2013. Aren't you curious to find out what's behind the strategies that have filled the pockets of so many individuals and corporations? Some see content marketing as an elaborated soft-sell advertising tactic, while others interpret it as a method of telling a company's story in a unique manner. Regardless of your take on this matter, we give you six reasons why content marketing won't be going anywhere in the near future.
- Give The Man Premium Content, and He Will Come Back for More. Addictive content enables you and your readers to become close. Original, palatable and relevant writing with a substance always triggers feedback from one's audience. Naturally, in this case the key to success is consistency. Those who like to consume your stellar food for thought on a regular basis will always be hungry for your fresh topics. They will land on your page repeatedly and advise their friends, colleagues, parents and grandparents to do the same. On top of that, a constant flow of content allows you to build and maintain a solid community around your brand, product or service. According to an article published by Search Engine Journal, exceptional content facilitates a stimulating conversation between you and your public, while a strong community amplifies the message that you are trying to send through your writing.
- Having a Solid Content Strategy Is Like Having Money in the Bank. Some inexperienced business owners who are not familiar with the mechanism of online markets may tend to think that crafting and implementing a content strategy is a tiresome process that doesn't actually deliver major benefits. The numbers reflected by recent stats debunk this misconception, proving that content marketing is one of the most powerful moneymaking tools that all companies can and should rely on, regardless of their size and goals, in order to increase their revenues. The fact that 90% of B2C brands rely on content marketing to inform and educate their consumers definitely proves a point in this context.
- Content Marketers Sharpen Their Pens and Broaden Their Horizons. According to a white paper entitled 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends- North America, published by Content Marketing Institute, this year 35% of all B2B marketers affirm that they count on a documented content marketing strategy, while 48% say that they have a content marketing strategy set in place, but in this case we are talking about an undocumented version. The same source reveals other interesting aspects, including the following ones:
- Content marketers now use separate content marketing strategies to target 4 audiences, on average
- 42% of all surveyed marketers publish fresh content daily or "multiple times per week" to fuel their content marketing program
- In 2015, marketers are currently working on 13 content marketing initiatives, on average
The new trends identified by this source indicate that content marketing has evolved a great deal throughout time, expanding its influence and its inherent series of benefit. At this point, skilled marketers can develop, test, revise and monitor not one but four (or more) distinctive content marketing strategies designed according to the particularities of their segments of public. Another important aspect underlined by this white paper is that 70% of the B2B marketers employed by companies of all sizes are creating more content than they did one year ago. They use on average six channels to distribute their pieces of content and are always keeping an eye open for new opportunities that may take their content marketing program to a whole new level. The increased enthusiasm and determination manifested by marketers show that content is a mighty king that will never be dethroned and also suggests that a little bit of strategic thinking and in-depth research can take you a long way.
- All the Big Players Are Investing Big Bucks in Content Marketing. If you want to keep up with the Joneses in any field of activity, you have to identify your own role models and follow in the footsteps of the most successful giants. This doesn't mean that you have to turn yourself into a copycat; chances are that you don't have the resources that a major corporation relies on anyway. In this case, the key is to borrow, steal and reinterpret in a clever manner, while adapting every single idea that inspires you to your own strategy, developed according to your budget, audience and goals. Brands that we all know and love show us that content marketing is the key to reaching audiences, creating communities and achieving bigger goals on a daily basis.
Let's take a quick look at some awesome examples:
- Colgate has made a name for itself as an expert in its field not necessarily by talking like one, but by keeping its prospects close through its Oral and Dental Health Resource This online resource provides useful, punctual tips on a great variety of topics, all related to the mission, vision and purpose in business of this giant company that has established itself as a promoter of a correct oral hygiene. Here one could stumble across more than 400 instructional articles, interactive guides and videos that address all your questions and concerns. Written in a friendly tone, these pieces of content are easy to digest and provide valuable pieces of advice that may just get the Tooth Fairy out of business.
- Coca-Cola has already explored the tremendous power of content marketing. Its Content 2020 marketing strategy revolves around the idea that all marketers require an increased amount of relevant, original and pertinent content to maintain a strong bond with clients and prospects. These days, marketers are no longer distributing content every once in a while, hoping to close a sale with just one piece of content. The 24/7 connectivity has changed the rules of the game, and now marketers feel stimulated to work around the clock to craft and distribute world-class content. According to Marketing Week, this huge corporation has decided to ditch traditional ad agencies that used to provide their creative ideas and focus mostly on a new, collaborative and extremely ingenious approach to content creation and storytelling. More specifically, as this suggestive and entertaining video reveals, Coca Cola is determined to evolve from creative excellence to content excellence, while provoking conversations through the stories it tells. This content marketing strategy has everything it takes to deliver exceptional results: after all, we all love good stories that we can relate to, and we all love a certain type of carbonated soft drink, don't we?
- RedBull. RedBull is another respectable brand that hardly makes any compromises when it comes to rolling out its unique content marketing strategy. Designed to keep the brand on the same page with adrenaline junkies and extreme sports fans, the content marketing strategy employed by RedBull gravitates around videos that are fun and engaging. The creative minds that are behind RedBull's content marketing strategy know that its fans want excitement, adrenaline and a certain unique cool factor- and this is exactly what they deliver. The energy drink that gives us wings may or may not be a mix of coolness and adrenaline in a can; however, one thing's certain: RedBull has managed to capture the attention of a worldwide audience, counting more than 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube. RedBull definitely knows how to stay into the spotlight by organizing and promoting unique, jaw-dropping events and building a solid content marketing strategy around them. The Stratos Jump performed by Felix Baumgartner was watched by no less than 8 million people. Naturally, the incredible event went mainstream in a matter of a few seconds, as the "death-defying" experience was instantly explored by some of the most reputable media outlets worldwide. For those seeking a maximum level of exposure, it can't get better than this. Multiple videos were posted on YouTube, on RedBull's official channel, while its website was teeming with blog updates and other exciting fresh pieces of content that celebrated Felix Baumgartner's extreme initiative.
- GoPro provides powerful video cameras and accessories that are basically suitable for any activity that you could image. This is what we all know. But what exactly is its content marketing secret? GoPro explores our need of validation. We could all use five minutes of glory, couldn't we? GoPro stimulates its prospect to become real-life heroes. Moreover, clients are encouraged to capture incredible moments and share them with the whole world. By turning customers into brand evangelists, GoPro manages to achieve its marketing goals with minimal effort, while letting its fans do most of the heavy lifting. According to Business 2 Community, GoPro sells big and succeeds in increasing its brand awareness by tapping its fan's love and appreciation for its product. Its team of marketing specialists is constantly surfing the Internet looking for videos produced using a GoPro camera. Naturally, they gather and use the ones with an elevated emotional and aesthetic value, in an attempt to cater shareable content. Moreover, as a great storyteller, GoPro brings all these experienced together and turns them into the nucleus of a solid community. With a content strategy that is always ready to tap the overwhelming potential of social media platforms, GoPro counts more than 7.9 million fans on Facebook and more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram, proving that sustained marketing efforts are always rewarded.
- Content Marketing Is the Miracle Maker That Even the Budget-Minded Businesses Can Afford. It's always so easy to abandon a great idea before actually thinking about the easiest methods in which you could apply it. Yes, competition can be quite intimidating, especially when you're counterparts are sitting on the pile of gold, while you're pinching pennies. But this doesn't mean that content marketing is the magic wand that was designed exclusively for the (already) rich and famous. On the contrary, any type of business can profit from the benefits that a solid content marketing strategy has to offer, as long as it focuses on the following aspects:
- Short-term and long-term goals
- Strategy
- Production
- Content atomization (the process of deriving multiple small execution methods from one big idea, according to Convince&Convert)
- Amplification (the process of marketing the marketing- in other words, this step encompasses all the integration tactics that you employ to make your message heard on a larger scale)
- Tests and Measurements
- Good Content Never Goes on Vacation. Here's another reason why you should rely on content marketing to take your business to a whole new level: a good content strategy will work even when you won't. Quality web content will always be read, commented upon and shared 24/7, even when you're in a meeting or on a vacation. These days, content is treated like a first-class product. Used wisely, this type of writing can open the doors to countless opportunities to drive revenue via your other sellable services or products that define your business.
Content Marketing Is Seen as The New Conversation Between Brands and Their Public
So there you have it: a personalized content marketing strategy is the fundamental aspect that differentiates you from your competitors, making you unique, channeling your ambitions in the right direction and creating a stronger tie with your audience.
An article published by Forbes defines content marketing as "the new conversation." Indeed, successful, result-oriented content marketing is all about the ways in which a brand's culture get mirrored and reinforced in its daily actions. The companies that nail content marketing are the ones that make a difference in their customers' lives, provide value (inform, entertain and educate) without asking for anything in return and prove their realness every single step of the way. All in all, the fact that savvy corporations make millions by simply rolling out clever strategies based on premium web writing proves that the future of content marketing is as bright as the sun in July.
sunrise / shutterstock