Why You Should Embrace Content Marketing
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Content marketing, in simple terms, is about sharing e-books, videos, articles, and images online to promote your business. You’ve probably read a lot of advice about content marketing, but much of it is geared towards large businesses with huge budgets and dedicated marketing teams, and it can be pretty overwhelming for solopreneurs. I mean, who’s got time to create videos and e-books when you’ve got clients to serve and bills to pay?
Maybe you’ve given it a shot, posted a PDF here and there, or dropping a line or two on social media, only to feel discouraged when the results didn’t meet your expectations. But don’t give up just yet! Let me give you a few down-to-earth reasons why diving into content marketing is worth the effort:
- Boost your SEO: Nowadays, it’s not just about keywords and backlinks for Google rankings (though those can still be helpful). High-quality content is the name of the game.
- Drive traffic to your site: Sharing your content on your social media, like Facebook or Instagram, can lead your followers to visit your website. Once they’re there, you need engaging content to keep them interested and coming back for more.
- Capture leads: Once you’ve got their attention, offer something like a helpful checklist or guide (yup, that’s content too!) in exchange for their email addresses.
- Build trust: With a gazillion websites out there, why should anyone choose yours? You need to make a connection with your visitors to show you understand them and can be trusted to deliver exactly what they need. And guess what – you do that with content too!
- Grow your brand: If your content is consistent with your overall brand message, it tells the world who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re awesome. Basically, content marketing is your brand’s BFF.
- Seal the deal: There’s an art to crafting product descriptions and articles that make people want to buy. And when’s the best time to hit them with the sales pitch? When they’re ready to buy, of course! Content marketing helps you figure out when that magic moment is.
In summary, content marketing isn’t just a fancy term or about posting a few PDFs. It’s about bringing in traffic, snagging leads, building trust, presenting your brand, and ultimately, sealing the deal with more sales.
Image © Melpomene / depositphotos
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I think I need some work to realize #3, but I do enjoy the relationship with my readers. It keeps something “new to see” on my website. Also, I think it gives people a chance to get to know me and my style a bit, so it may filter out those with whom I would not be a good fit, while attracting those with whom I am a good fit!
I agree, our personalities come through a lot more in our blog posts than our “sales” pages. It’s so rewarding when someone says “I read your blog post and it felt like you knew me!”
I feel like I’m doing a lot of content marketing. How much is too much? But it’s hard for me to qualify whether I’m getting any return.
How much is enough? How much is too much? Those are excellent questions but difficult to answer.
When potential clients contact you, do you ask where they heard about you? It’s not 100% reliable, as some people might say they get your newsletter, but not mention or even remember that they originally found you on Twitter (X).
Your analytics for your website and various platforms might reveal something. Do you get website traffic from your social media posts?
I started as a social media manager and am now trying to grow my own blog. In a way, I feel like I did it backwards! I focused too heavily on the social media game and not enough on creating a strong blog. So I completely agree with your article that you need both. But, I think if you do it right, the business and the marketing will complement each other and only better serve your business and your clients.
You raise some interesting points, because ideally your blog will bring you social media followers and your social media will bring you blog readers. They definitely work together!
I’m working on doing more content marketing. Thank you for the points you raised.
You’re welcome!
These are all excellent suggestions. It’s important to remember this is a long game. There is always more to do, learn, and improve on. None of it happens overnight. Patience and consistency are vital elements, too.
That’s so true. I said something similar in my latest post, Using Your Keywords.
My content marketing has ebbed and flowed over the years. Early on (before the web, or even social media), was anything like it is today, I was promoting little ebooks. However, as blogs became the Next Big Thing, followed by social media, I used the latter to promote the former, and mostly forgot about the content I had for sale. I am so passive about promoting any of that, and while I promote my weekly blog posts, I’m sure I could be doing more “from the vault” promotion, cross-promotions, and other content marketing. Thank you for the reminder to get back to basics!
Always happy to be of service! 🙂
Consistent, high-quality, and engaging content impacts audience decision-making more than any other technique. It has the ability to create positive experiences for your potential customers and compel them to come back for more. It’s your ticket to capturing your audience’s attention and continually reinforcing a positive brand impression; as the YouTube thumbnail plays an important part in success of the video. It’s indeed a great branding strategy.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insight on the topic. Much appreciated!
Thank you for this piece of information… I love the way you organized your content and its internal links for a better user experience
Thanks, Kieran!