So, you have a strategic plan for your content marketing. Well, maybe you don’t. You’re not alone. Content marketing is a difficult practice to master. Even marketers with years of experience still have their heads spinning, trying to keep up with everything. So, things only become trickier when you’re just starting out.
As tough as it seems in the beginning, the world of content marketing theory isn’t that hard to get into. We’re here to help you understand the basics to get you started and why content marketing helps businesses.
Content Marketing Theory 101: What is Content Marketing?
We can’t really talk about content marketing theory without explaining what content marketing is. Content marketing is a strategic way of creating and promoting content to retain customers from your target audience.
If you’ve heard the buzz about content marketing, you’re probably wondering what it is. If marketing is like painting a masterpiece, then content marketing is your paintbrush.
Content marketing focuses on creating digital content that provides value to customers and helps establish an emotional connection with them.
This can include anything from blog posts to videos, podcasts, and more.
Due to the latest content marketing statistics, 71% of users said they viewed a blog post during their buying journey.
Unlike traditional advertising, such as radio commercials or billboards, content marketing aims to develop relationships and build trust rather than just trying to drive sales.
At its core, content marketing involves creating digital assets that speak directly to the audience – assets that are consistent with a brand’s message and values. Rather than merely aiming for quick sales or conversions, content marketers strive to lay down strong foundations of long-term brand loyalty by developing creative solutions for their target audiences.
All in all, content marketing is an effective way to create meaningful connections between brands and customers.
Of course, a lot of work goes into creating your marketing strategy. This is particularly true because content marketing consists of generating excellent content while also thinking of clever ways to promote it to your target audience.
Get That System in Place
The first thing you should do for yourself is make things easy with a content marketing system. Simply put, a system is nothing more than a detailed guide to everything you plan on achieving and creating. Systems vary from company to company, but they each include several vital components that can’t be skipped.
We broke our system into three separate pillars:
- Strategy (research)
- Create (content)
- Amplify (promote)
As you can see, each pillar supports the other and works together to strengthen your marketing. Think of each pillar as a fundamental piece of your business. Your strategy is the skeleton. It’s the very essence of your business and the foundation on which you’ll build your content.
Content creation, the second pillar, is like your business’s anatomy. All your content, including blog posts, gated content, and visuals, are organs in your business. You’ll want to fill your website with impressive content to entice new visitors and provide an incentive for customers to stick around.
The final pillar, amplify, is what people think of “content marketing.” It’s… well, the marketing side of things. The amplification of your content is how you promote it to your target audience. Which routes will you take to convince consumers that you’re the brand for them?
A content marketing system is the primary first step businesses need to take. However, as you can see, each pillar branches into several different sections. Each section is an equally important part of your pillar, with rules and methods to follow before you master them. So, you can see where all the work comes from.
Why is Content Marketing Important?
We would need an entire article to talk about the importance of content marketing. But we’ll give it a whirl here.
First, content marketing is less expensive than traditional marketing methods. Not only does it save money, but it also generates three times more leads than the original methods.
Additionally, from the stats, you’ll see that 80% of companies use a content marketing strategy. 82% of customers feel better about a company when interacting with custom content.
Furthermore, Impact BND discovered that small blog businesses experience a 126% increase in lead growth. This makes sense when you think about how the world is moving. Given the explosion of online content, consumers are more interested in unique content online.
What are the Benefits of Content Marketing?
- Lead generation. The right kind of content marketing will target a specific audience in your niche and bring them to your site.
- Consistent sales. Content marketing has the ability to bring in consistent leads for years. Evergreen content and engagement with customers are good jumping points.
- Building an audience. Over time, your content marketing will bring in customers and viewers to your site and social media platforms.
- Customer education. When you research and focus on customer pain points, content can (and should) educate customers. If customers know they can rely on your content for valuable tips, they’ll keep coming back.
- Thought leadership. The more relevant, valuable content you publish, the more your business looks like a thought leader in its niche.
These barely scrape the surface of all the benefits of content marketing. Once you nail down your strategy, you’ll see many benefits for years.
How Can You Implement Content Marketing?
In a bunch of ways! That’s one of the benefits of content marketing; you can cash in on views, readers, and customers in various expert ways.
As you saw in our third pillar, you can use various methods to promote your content. For now, let’s take a look at just a few samples.
Blogs
If you want to get into the business of content marketing, all it takes is some creative strategy, a blog, and a burning desire to get your message out there. Start by brainstorming your blog topics; think of something original that establishes you as an individual in the space.
You can also guest blog or write on other blogs related to your niche. In short, figure out how to start a dialogue with potential clients and colleagues. Once you have established yourself online through blog posts and/or social media posts, look into creating an editorial calendar for blog content ideas and regularly try unique approaches such as podcasts or post-quizzes for readers.
Furthermore, craft newsletters about your blog topics and stories so readers will have opt-in opportunities too. Lastly, create checkpoints so that users are sent notifications when new blog pieces launch or ‘unicorn’ content signifiers like exclusive interviews go live – this way, customers stay engaged with your content hub for more extended periods.
With these steps in place, you’ll be virtually unbeatable regarding content marketing!
Outsource Blog Writing
There are so many blog topics out there it can be overwhelming! Don’t worry – that’s where Article Writing Co. comes in. We help with blog writing and SEO strategies to hit the target audience you want to reach. Whether you’re a business just starting out or a blog writer needing some help with content ideas, we can provide the assistance you need for success.
Blogs are a great way to share your story and an excellent tool to engage readers or potential customers. Let us help with blog writing by researching relevant topics, creating engaging content, and ensuring each blog post is formatted properly to optimize search engine results.
If you want to expand your blog’s reach and visibility, let us help you get the most out of your blog writing strategy through SEO optimization. Ask for a free SEO audit today, and you’ll receive a ready-to-use strategy for your content marketing.
Count on Article Writing Co. to create blogs that capture attention, deliver information, and bring life to project proposals! Contact us today for more information on how we can take your blog content game up a notch through our expert blog writing services.
Forums
Using forums, you can spread the word about our company while providing valuable information to potential customers. Quora is a terrific way to address pain points in your niche, get to know the community, and generate buzz about your content.
We target questions of our niche and spend some time answering relevant questions. In this way, we can:
- establish thought leadership
- gently nudge viewers to our content
- boost trustworthiness with valuable content
- stay active in our niche’s community
These are just some of the impacts Quora answers make. Over time, even if you don’t generate a ton of traffic, it always bodes well to engage with readers.
Remember that strategies like this will maintain authority while increasing page views and building relationships. Read a full guide on Quora marketing from Ahrefs here.
Brand Voice
Another great way to use content marketing is to develop your brand voice. When you establish your brand voice, consumers and site viewers have something to look forward to. You’ll be able to stand out in a crowd and build a name for yourself.
A distinctive voice can also help you entice customers to visit your site, follow through on purchases, or engage in posts. It might take a while until you develop your brand, but you must find a voice and stick to it. Remember, notable brand voices also show prospective customers that you’re proud of your company.
Infographics
Did you know that the search volume for infographics has increased by 800% in the last few years? Infographics are just one of the ways you can create individual content on your blog. They summarize information in a digestible and creative way. They’re also another way for you to show off your voice.
Infographics also make excellent marketing tools because site viewers can download or return to them when needed. Plus, customers are visual creatures; they want information in bites. Infographics present ideas in a way that consumers won’t get bored with. Here’s an infographic that beautifully describes the anatomy of a professional website.
Of course, these are just a few ways to use content marketing to your advantage. Our third pillar includes the different ways you can promote content. Each comes with its own benefits, which can help retain customers from your target audience.
Final Thoughts
Content marketing theory is a crucial term to understand. An important thing to remember is that content marketing comes with a certain degree of trial and error. In theory, some of these strategies may seem like the right way to go, but your results may reveal otherwise when you put them into practice.
Understanding the basics of content marketing theory will allow you to implement the proper methods for your business.
David is the Founder and Director of article-writing.co, the fastest-growing content creation agency in North America. He has transformed companies by offering high-quality content that has impacted their SEO ranking, revitalized websites with engaging and industry-relevant blogs and website copy, and championed successful email campaign copy.
