Anyone in the marketing industry can tell you how important it is to any business to effectively use their online presence to reach their audience and gain new business. But like any goal, businesses must employ a strategy to achieve it. When it comes to building an online presence, your company’s content marketing strategy is the key to success.
Our CEO defines content marketing as “the creation of relevant content that provides value to your customers by providing answers to their pain points and, ultimately, driving action.” She stresses that it is two-way communication that is based on the ability to build trusted relationships with your customers. And strategy is key.
According to Content Marketing Institute, only 37% of B2B companies have a documented content marketing strategy, as do 40% of B2C. However, of those companies, 81% of B2C and 83% of B2C view their company’s content marketing strategy as moderately effective to very effective. Regardless of whether they believe they are effective or not, research has shown that effective content marketers all create and employ a documented content marketing strategy.
So how do you do that?
The following are a few circumstances to tip you off that it’s time for your business to invest in an intentional content marketing strategy.
When…traditional marketing just isn’t cutting it anymore
Today’s consumers tend to make their purchase decisions based on reviews they’ve read and research they’ve done online. We trust our network of family and friends—and the actions they take online are readily available for us to see, click on and trust. The digital space is one area where you should focus your advertising efforts, rather than on TV commercials, billboard ads or large-scale direct mail campaigns—especially if you are dissatisfied with the results of those campaigns. Much advertising has moved to social media via sponsored posts on Instagram and Twitter or Facebook ads to be intermixed with potential buyer’s online social lives.
When…your audience statistics aren’t what you’d like them to be
If your pages have seen a significant drop in engagement or have never quite met your goals (you have set goals, right?), it’s time to revisit your content marketing strategy. Understanding what the statistics mean is the first step in fixing the problem. Analyze the campaigns or posts that have received high engagement and focus on creating similar ones. Employing SEO best practices is another way t0 help the right people find your business. For a quick look at terms for ROI tracking, check out our online vocab cheat sheet.
When…you aren’t receiving new business leads online
If you aren’t receiving news business leads, it’s likely because they can’t find you online (or there is a hang up on why they aren’t filling out your contact forms). SEO is a key way to make sure your website is placed in front of the right target audience online by showing up as a search engine result. Furthermore, focusing on creating relevant content that answers questions buyers may have about a product or service will ensure the right businesses find you. Assess which landing pages you’re directing visitors to and develop a solid distribution and lead capture strategy that lives within your content marketing plan.
When…your website and social channels need updating
A company that isn’t active online is one that is difficult to find and even harder to engage with. Do some research into where your customers spend their time online and then create a presence there. If you are already on those channels, be active by posting content (both your own and from other industry experts) as well as by liking, following and commenting back when people engage with your page. Engagement is key. You also may want to consider how long it’s been since you gave your website a facelift to ensure that it is not only appealing but also user-friendly.
If you think it would be worth your time to invest in a content marketing strategy (and trust us, it will be), let us help! Allee has more than 10 years’ experience crafting and executing content marketing strategies for companies of all sizes.
