Content marketing gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean?
It’s about creating copy that resonates with your audience – stuff they find valuable, informative, and keeps them coming back for more. Bottom line: copy that converts. But how do you cut through all the noise and become a content marketing powerhouse? We’ve got you covered.
Here’s your actionable guide to creating killer context that converts.
Step 1: Know Your Audience (Like, Really Know Them)
Understand who you’re talking to.
Ask yourself: Who are you trying to reach? What are their pain points? What kind of content would grab their attention? Develop personas – create detailed profiles of your ideal customers.
Tip: Use your social media insights, do competitor analysis, and good old-fashioned market research are your friends here.
Step 2: Goals? Define them.
Would you throw glitter at a random crowd hoping for a few fans? The same goes for your online presence.
You need to be specific just like you would like your next client or customer to be. You cannot define your goals by simply just saying “get more traffic”. What is it that you want? Brand awareness, roaring applause (leads!), or a standing ovation (sales)? Having clear goals helps you tailor your strategy and choose the most effective formats. Here are some common goals:
- Brand Awareness: Become the industry thought leader everyone wants to hear from.
- Lead Generation: Attract potential customers and capture their information.
- Customer Engagement: Foster deeper relationships and loyalty with existing customers – keep them coming back for more!
- Sales Conversion: Turn website visitors into paying fans, the ultimate goal.
Step 3: Choose the right format.
There are many ways to tell your story.
Here are some popular options to consider:
- Blogs & Articles: Great for in-depth information, establishing thought leadership, and SEO optimisation.
- Videos: Highly engaging and perfect for tutorials, demos, and product reviews (think music videos!)
- Infographics & eBooks: Visually appealing ways to present data and information (great for lead generation with gated content, think exclusive backstage passes).
- Social Media Posts: Bite-sized content to keep your audience engaged with news, trends, and customer testimonials.
Tip: Mix it up! Cater to different learning styles with a variety of formats, just like a great playlist has a mix of genres.
Step 4: Create messaging that captivates.
Hit the right notes! Forget about going viral overnight.
Captivating content is a strategic blend of three key ingredients: value, clarity, and action. Here’s how to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more:
- Value First: Address pain points and offer real solutions.
- Clear & Concise Writing: No fluff – just clear, easy-to-understand writing.
- Calls to Action: Tell your readers what you want them to do next (subscribe, download a resource, visit your site).
- SEO: Use relevant keywords and optimise your copy for search engines.
- Visually Appealing: Break up text with images, infographics, and videos to keep readers hooked.
Tip / FYI: Remember, the best SEO practices focus on creating high-quality content that users will find valuable. We offer a tool that will help you identify technical issues. But did you know even great content can be held back by technical SEO issues? Have a look at our SEO tool to identify and fix technical problems that might be hurting your website’s ranking.
Step 5: Spread the word: Let your brand be seen.
Creating great copy is half the battle. The other half?
Getting it in front of the right audience. Here are some effective ways to promote your content across different channels:
- Social Media: Share your content and engage with your audience.
- Email Marketing: Segment your list and send targeted campaigns promoting your content.
- Industry Publications: Submit guest articles or infographics to reach a wider audience.
Tip: Repurpose Your Content! Don’t limit yourself to a single format. Turn blog posts into infographics, videos into social media snippets, and infographics into slides for presentations. Maximise your content’s reach by giving it new life across different channels.
Step 6: Measure & Analyse.
It’s All About Improvement. Use analytics tools to track the performance. See what resonates with your audience and what needs improvement. Use this data to refine your strategy and create even better content in the future.
You Got This!
Creating engaging content takes effort, but the rewards are worth it. By offering consistent valuable content, you’ll attract leads, nurture relationships, and ultimately convert more leads into loyal customers.
Need help creating a winning strategy?
We get it, creating top-notch content consistently can be a challenge. But here in the lab, we offer a range of content creation and marketing strategy services to help businesses like yours, develop and execute a winning content marketing plan. Contact us today to discuss your needs and learn how we can help you achieve your marketing goals.
