Up Your Content Marketing Game

content marketing

Image via Flickr user pixelm

You’ve heard the phrase “content in king” but what do you do when it’s time to actually implement this into your business? This could be an overwhelming concept. Content creation takes time and in some cases it takes money as well. However, the benefits usually outweigh the negatives. Take a look at the ideas below and think about your content marketing strategy for the next few months.

1.     Lead Generation

The proof is in the numbers. If you’re hoping to increase your lead generation capabilities by way of your website, content could be a game changer. In fact, recent studies have shown that companies that blog generate 67% more leads than companies who do not. Blogs are perfect for hosting great content.

Lead generation, on and offline, is critical for long-term growth and success. Providing regular, relevant content is a way to see results in this area from the start. It can’t just be any content. Provide something valuable if you want the best results

2.     Customer Connection

We live in a world of individuals looking for connections. This is even truer online than any other location. Think about the rise of social media and its integration into our daily lives. >8 out of 10 adults in the United States use social media on regular basis–it accounts for 23% of all time spent online. They’re not just looking for friends, they’re looking to learn more about brands before making purchasing decisions.

To prove the point, a survey by Roper demonstrated that 61% of consumers feel better about companies that take the time to deliver custom content and that they are more likely to do business with those companies than with other brands that do not. When looking to build a connection with customers that directly influences purchasing decisions, custom content must be a priority.

Take time to actually respond to customers on Facebook and Twitter. Make sure you’re not only responding to the good ones though. Deleting a negative comment can do more harm than good. Respond positively to your comments and you’ll not only save customers that were about to head elsewhere, but often they’ll be so impressed that they’ll tell others about you as well.

3.     Search Engine Rankings

It’s not a secret: for a website to be successful and to drive as much traffic as possible, search rankings matter. Whether you’re outsourcing your SEO work to a business or handling the effort in-house, it’s not just generic web keywords that matter. Regularly published, authoritative content is directly linked to higher search rankings.

Websites with blogs have, on average, 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links than websites without them. Furthermore, search engine crawlers reward sites with regular and recent postings and content is the best way to accomplish this. To put it simply, regular content means higher search rankings. This cannot be ignored.

Make sure to pay attention to the latest news when your company relies heavily on SEO. What used to work a few years ago may actually harm your site now, so can be helpful to hire a professional to keep track of it all. You can at least do basic SEO tactics on your website, such as optimizing your titles and making sure your pictures have text to go with them.

4.     Branding Matters

For a company to become a success, it must have a strong brand with a consistent brand message. When you take the time to post content related to industry news, frequently asked questions, how-to’s and basic statistics, you’re giving current customers and potential customers a reason to return to your site to learn more about your brand and to become familiar with what you’re really about. Content is critical to brand cultivation.

Keep your content consistent on all your platforms. Don’t tell jokes on Facebook if your Twitter is all about deadly serious topics, or you’ll confuse your audience. Keep a consistent tone of voice in your writing and make sure you sound like a real person. If possible, have one person handle all of the social media writing so you get the same tone every day. Of course, you’re not going have one person work 24/7, but you can pre-schedule posts to go out any time you want.

Now is the time to consider your marketing strategy for the rest of the year. If it hasn’t been a focus in the past, now is the time to make content a priority.

Scott Huntington
 

Scott M Huntington is a writer, blogger, and small business owner. He has written for Forbes, Time, Inc, Business Insider, and many other sites. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.