We’ve all heard the adage that ‘content is king’. It’s the marketer’s golden ticket. It allows you to nurture brand loyalty by giving current and potential audiences something that they will enjoy, find useful and may even make a purchase or two because of it.

But, in a world which is full of blogs, online tutorials, vlogs and podcasts, what really constitutes as effective content marketing and how can it boost your brand or business activity?

First things first.

The Content Marketing Institute describes content marketing as:

“A marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

So, it differs from more traditional techniques such as direct mail or digital advertising.

Content marketing is about giving something back to your audiences and customers. It is about delivering something which to engage with. Arguably, it’s more sharable content too. It also stands out in the crowd a little more in a world where we see up to 5,000 adverts a day. An emotional response is also more likely by providing something meaningful and interesting rather than just offering up a blatant sell. It is also a great opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in your specific industry. Or, to showcase what makes your products or services different (or better!) than your competitors.

The benefits of content marketing are clear:

• It builds brand loyalty and trust.
• It encourages return visits and/or custom from your audiences.
• It provides valuable insight on who you’re reaching and what they are engaging with.

However, results don’t come overnight from content marketing. There’s a series of steps in this sales cycle from starting out, establishing a regular schedule of content and then becoming a go-to in your industry. That’s when you will really see your business grow.

Content marketing in its various forms is a popular marketing tool with up to 53% of small businesses using it. But, it is important to do it correctly or all those hours writing blog posts are for nothing. Some tips are:

• Set yourself realistic targets in line with the content marketing sales cycle.
• Establish your tone of voice and stick with it.
• Get a content plan together and a schedule of when it will be shared.
• Consider outsourcing if this would place too much strain on in-house resources.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing a blog series on content marketing, how to do it effectively and some of our favourite examples.

In the meantime, Theme Group is here to help tell your story. Contact us to find out more.