How COVID-19 Led to a Video Marketing Renaissance
We’re in the Golden Age of video marketing – and with it come the challenges of video fatigue and stiff competition. Here’s what to know to make it work for..
Key Takeaways:
You may think, "My industry is too niche, so why bother with content writing?"
The answer is, "there’s no such thing as “too niche for content.”" These days, nearly everybody gets their information from the internet. There are 311 million internet users in the United States – that’s over 93% of the entire population.
"The odds are, whatever your industry is, your audience includes daily internet users. You can get those folks to try and love your brand, but they have to find you first." Content writing is your most valuable tool to make that happen.
Your customer base is definitely aware that the web exists, so you need amazing, informative content, no matter what your industry is. Your content helps you reach and connect with your audiences – think of a blog post featuring a reader’s question, or an email newsletter with tailored industry-specific tips. Or even social media posts and short videos.
"Whether you're selling space rockets or artisanal cheese, quality content is the secret sauce that helps build brand awareness and attract new customers."
You may think this kind of marketing just isn’t relevant to your audiences, but put that thought to rest. Your audience is almost definitely online, no matter who they are.
People use Google to find things almost 90 billion times per month. That’s a lot of people searching! Every single second, Google receives nearly 40,000 search queries.
In other words, your pool of potential clients is probably online. Content writing is valuable to anyone who’s trying to reach online audiences – so, everyone.
Consider this: 71% of B2B buyers said that they read blog content while making a purchase. With the right quality content, that could be your blog.
Whatever your industry is, one thing’s true: You need a content marketing strategy before you can start reaping the benefits of content writing. Luckily, it’s an easy process that you can execute in just 6 steps:
1. Research the competition
A great way to start is to look at what your competitors are doing. Check out their social media accounts and blogs if they have them.
Ask yourself questions about each competitor, such as:
Take lots of notes so you can learn from what works (or doesn’t).
That said, the competition isn’t always doing it right, so don’t try to emulate a competitor’s strategy without understanding why it works.
2. Set content goals
Setting content goals gives you a clear target to aim for that can help you stay on track and measure success. But don't worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds.
One approach to setting goals is to use the SMART framework. It's pretty straightforward: make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Instead of saying something vague like "get more website traffic," try setting a SMART goal like "increase website traffic by 20% in the next six months through a targeted social media campaign." This way, you have a clear objective and a way to measure progress.
2. Create a content calendar
Figure out how long it takes to start getting content distributed and who you need on your team. Create a calendar outlining everyone’s responsibilities and deadlines. There should be deadlines for writing, editing, and design, if applicable, and then the final date when you’ll post the content.
Get a plan in action to create and distribute your content, and be specific and intentional about all of it. Your content calendar should include:
3. Engage the reader
"Storytelling is the best way to captivate your audience with honesty and relatability." By telling a story, the content becomes memorable, and it can build an emotional connection with the audience. If you use visuals such as images, videos, and infographics, make sure those also relay the story.
What makes it a story? Well, of course, it has to convey your brand’s journey, message, or vision. But beyond that, there are a few elements that set storytelling apart:
5. Track metrics
How do you know if it’s working? You need to set up ways to track KPIs across all your channels. "The data you collect can tell give you a clear picture of whether your content is soaring or bombing."
The actual KPIs you track will depend on your content goals. Those include:
You have so much on your plate already, do you really want to wear a content marketer hat, too?
Unless you have an entire marketing team with expert specialist writers ready and waiting, you’ll overextend yourself trying to execute a content marketing strategy all alone. If you don’t have that team, you still need it, so what’s a person to do?
We’re here to be your team at ContentBacon. Our expert marketers, writers, strategists, and designers will whip up a sizzling approach to reach your industry-specific audience. See for yourself how we can help – check out our Website Grader tool built to give you an audit in seconds so you can learn what to change and why.
We're offering a no strings attached content assessment. Have our experts provide you a free evaluation of your content plan and we'll provide you some free strategy on how to optimize. On the house (really).
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