If you’re looking for ways to boost your business in 2020, then content marketing is the way to go. It has proven to be one of the most effective ways to build trust and boost sales.
For medium- and large-sized businesses, content marketing cost is up to 41% less per lead than paid search. The average customer acquisition cost for a company dropped from $108 to $64 per lead when they switched to content marketing.
With numbers so impressive, it would be foolish to not put all your efforts into acing your content marketing game. Your users are looking for good-quality content to make a decision. 9x more leads were reportedly generated by using long-form blog posts.
By being strategic and consistent with your content marketing, you can help your business grow and scale in the long run. Mentioned below are five simple tips to help you get started.
1. Have SMART goals
Setting the right kind of goals is crucial for the success of any marketing campaign.
SMART is an acronym for a great approach to any campaign, especially content marketing. This ensures you’re getting your money’s worth!
SMART goals are
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-Based
What does this have to do with content marketing? Oh, so much!
First, having specific goals means they’re straightforward, simple, and focused. They answer the basic questions, such as, What are we trying to accomplish here? Why? And who is involved in this campaign?
Your goals must also be measurable—otherwise, how else can you track deadlines and results?
You’ve also got to focus on achievable goals, i.e., ones that are within your budgets and talents. This will help you stay focused and positive.
Relevant goals refer to how worthwhile your campaign is. It must be modern per the time, the audience, its goals, and your other campaigns.
And last, stay on track with time-specific goals. Do you want to achieve specific results in six weeks or six months? And, what are the day-by-day tasks needed to accomplish these goals in the allotted timeframe?
2. Track your performance to ensure it’s working
For you to track your performance and gauge where you stand, you first need to set clear objectives. Based on these goals, you can determine the metrics that can help you track your overall performance. For example,
- Email sign-ups can help you track the performance of your newsletter
- Sales lead quality can help you understand the quality of your content
- Website traffic can help you understand awareness of your product
These are all measurable and should nod at the successes (or failures) of your content marketing campaign. It’s a good practice to keep a track of all new leads your content is bringing in as they can help your sales team turn them into loyal customers.
3. Repurpose your content across multiple platforms
Say you’ve written an excellent piece of content that’s performing really well. Or maybe you have created a long pillar post that explains a topic from multiple angles.
Aside from promoting that article, try to repurpose your content for multiple platforms. This is a fantastic way to get maximum returns out of the minimum effort. It helps you increase your exposure while also saving you time, money, and effort. Some methods of repurposing include
- Turning blog posts into downloadable guides or eBooks
- Sharing smaller snippets through an email newsletter
- Create visual content for Pinterest and Instagram
- Breaking down an eBook into smaller blog posts
- Converting bits and pieces of a blog post into smaller content for social media platforms
4. Link to professional sources to improve credibility
The average reader is skeptical, and rightfully so. It’s your job as the content creator to prove your ideas are not only noteworthy but are accurate, too.
When it comes to content, always provide evidence to back up any claims you make. The more accredited your source, the more trustworthy you become.
Link back to professional sources, such as government websites and research institutes, to improve your credibility. You can also share backlinks to relevant testimonials as they are one of the strongest sources of information for a potential client.
Embrace this skepticism as a way to write excellent content that anyone can trust. Don’t be afraid of providing more information and data to prove your points or back up your claims.
5. Solve problems with your content
One of the time-tested ways to make your content stand out is to solve a problem through storytelling. Everyone loves a good story and if it helps a potential customer solve their problem then they’re likely to develop a positive association with your brand.
Ask yourself some of the following questions to ensure your content is providing value to your readers:
- Are you writing for yourself or for your readers?
- Do you have credible resources to back up all the claims that you’re making?
- Does your content have strong visual elements that better explain a concept (eg. infographics)?
- Is your headline click-worthy?
- Can the average reader grasp your content (i.e., the language is not too technical or confusing)?
Before you post any content, make sure that it addresses your target audience’s pain points and provides meaningful solutions to them. It’ll go a long way in building trust with them.
Use These Content Marketing Tips to Supercharge Your Campaign in 2020!
The goals for this year are similar to last year’s: be credible and offer consistency. People love blog posts for a reason—they provide insight, advice, data—and they’re more useful now than ever. With all the competition online, you can’t afford to not use these content marketing tips.
Make a voice for yourself and then let that voice be heard!
Great content is only one significant facet of a more extensive campaign that encompasses several tactics. There are various other ways to advertise your product or service!
Click here to see how else you can build a successful marketing strategy. While you’re at it, subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates and information straight to your inbox.
