Content Marketing: A Quick Guide for Beginners

Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable content. Mostly, this is to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined audience.

The goal is to deliver your message to the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Many businesses struggle with content creation because they do not have a clear content marketing strategy.

One study shows that 70 percent of people prefer to get information about a company or learn something from an article or blog post rather than from a traditional advertisement. (Demand Metric).

You are losing a lot if you are not considering content marketing as part of your digital marketing strategy.

The importance of a content marketing strategy

Content marketing is a powerful way to engage with your audience and build your brand’s trust.

Moreover, it is not just about creating content that will engage your audience but also about finding the channels and platforms to distribute that content.

A successful content marketing strategy focuses on the following:

Defines the goals of the campaign

What do you want to achieve? Do you want new clients? Are you trying to send traffic to your blog?

For example, a business might use social media content to expand its reach. On the other hand, another might use blogging to attract new clients.

Knowing or having a clear goal helps you achieve an effective content marketing strategy.

Identifies the target audience

Who are you targeting? Where do they live, and what do they do? What content do they love seeing?

For example, you are most likely to get a good response when you target millennials on Instagram because they spend most of their time there.

According to Hubspot, 52% of millennials want to see videos from brands they support, while only 25% of those 45-54 do.

Defines the message and tone of voice

How are you going to put the message across? Does your business use an informal tone? Or does it use a technical or non-technical one?

Your content marketing strategy should consider your brand tone. For example, you cannot use an informal tone on your companies blog if your target audience is mostly CEO’s or people in leadership roles.

On the other hand, you cannot have a formal tone in your content when targeting a less formal audience like teens.

Identifies the channels and platforms for distribution

You have created your content and are ready to distribute it. Which platform have you chosen?

For example, images and videos perform well on Instagram because it is a visual platform. Best for reaching millennials.

Facebook allows you to post long-form content like texts and videos too. Best for reaching both millennials and the older generation.

If you want to reach professionals with your content, LinkedIn is your best bet. Best for content with a formal tone.

Do you have something you want to share quickly using a few characters? Twitter is the best place to post your short text content.

There are so many social media platforms popping up every day. Make sure you pick platforms that have your target audience.

What types of content should you create?

There are many different types of content that you can create for your business. Furthermore, the content you choose should depend on the goals and objectives of your business.

Consider how much time, energy, and resources you have to invest in content creation. Also, you need to consider the platform(s) that you will distribute your content.

Some popular types of content include:

Blog posts

When it comes to content types, blogs are one of the best you can use. You are currently reading this article on my blog, meaning blogs still are one way of putting your point across.

Many content managing platforms will allow you to start a blog right off the bat without having any money. A good example is WordPress. You can create a blog about anything on WordPress and share it with the world.

Bloggers who utilize blogging for marketing purposes see 13 times the ROI of businesses that do not. (Semrush)

Pros

• It helps you share company news.
• You will connect with new people.
• You will get proclaimed an expert.
• It drives long-term results.

Cons

• It’s a lot difficult than it looks.
• Blogging for your business can hurt you if you do it wrong.
• It takes a huge upfront investment of time and work.

Videos

Videos are taking over when it comes to content marketing that works effectively.

By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than in 2017 (Cisco).

A 1-minute video can say a lot compared to an image posted on social media. A good video marketing strategy can set your business apart from the rest.

Pros

• Search engines love video.
• Video builds trust and credibility.
• Videos encourage social shares.
• Easy to measure.

Cons

• A low-quality video or poor video execution possible cheapens your brand.
• A video can be a distraction when it’s too long.
• In some instances, it can be costly to create.

Social Media Posts

More than 4.5 billion people now use the internet, while social media users have passed the 3.8 billion mark (We are social).

Top 5 social media platforms

1. Facebook
2. YouTube
3. WhatsApp
4. Instagram
5. TikTok

Each of these social media platforms has its unique content type. Moreover, different platforms have different audiences.

Social media content you can create:

• Videos
• Text posts
• ebooks
• Images
• Video stories

Conclusion

In conclusion, content marketing can be a perfect way to get the word out about your products or services.

Key takeaways

For you to have an effective content marketing strategy, consider the following:

• Define your goals. What do you want to achieve for your business? Awareness, conversions, traffic e.t.c
• Identify your target audience. Is your audience young or old? Are they working class or college students?
• What message are you passing across, and what is the tone. Are you formal or informal?
• Which channels are you going to use? Is it Facebook, Twitter, YouTube e.t.c

Resources

1. Canva allows you to create stunning social media content.
2. Use Bluehost to buy a domain and host your blog.
3. Write good blog articles using Grammarly
4. Use PlaceIt to create stunning mockups for your product or service.

Do you need any help with your content marketing strategy? Drop me an email: [email protected]

Also published here.