“But Do I Have to?”
Remaining competitive in this day and age requires making significant investments in content marketing on behalf of your brand. Nearly three quarters of marketers already do, according to HubSpot, so failing to do so automatically puts you behind the competition.
Content marketing can be overwhelming, we get it, but if you want to build trust with your target audience, you have no other choice but to do it. 🤝
If you are losing your mind because you do not know where to begin, take a deep breath and consider this blog a resource you can utilize when you dive into content marketing.
Good Monster proudly boasts some pros in this department, and since they are feeling generous, they are going to reveal some of their formerly-best-kept secrets to you. 🤫
If your content is so good you happen to catch Justin Bieber’s attention and he makes it viral, then you probably would not be reading this right now. 🤷
Since you are human, just like us Monsters once were, you will require a little help along the way, and that is perfectly okay!
Prior to producing kick-ass content for your target audience, you and your team have to first identify the intention, such as, “What message is this video going to convey?” or “How will this elevate our brand?”
You will find different pieces of content have different intentions. To give you some perspective as to what they are, we identified five to start.
Build Trust
This first point mentioned in the introduction is worth bringing up again because you cannot afford to undermine its significant role in content marketing.
One more time: you cannot afford to undermine its significant role in content marketing.
Okay, good.
Internet shoppers may be many things, but one thing they are not is desperate. The Internet has what feels like a gazillion options for everything, and because of this, shoppers have zero qualms about leaving your brand’s website to go to another they feel like they will *wait for it 🥁* trust.
“Marty, how do we get people we don’t know to trust us?”
With f@#$%& awesome content marketing, duh!
Give shoppers a reason to stay on your website by👇
- Telling a good story
- Relating to them
- Serving as a credible source of information
Doing so builds the foundation of your relationship.
Increase Brand Awareness
Quite simple: if people do not know your brand exists, they will never have the opportunity to place orders!
Back to the whole competition thing (thank you Economics class), shoppers are going to have to be able to clearly identify 👇
- What your brand is about
- What your brand looks like
- What your brand offers
- Who your brand is for
- And more
They learn this by consuming the content your marketing team releases, further proving how each piece needs to hold the integrity of your brand.
Engage on Social Media
Maybe you have been there before. One of your favorite celebrities on Twitter likes your tweet. For a second, it makes you think you might actually be funny, but then it never happens again.
But how great was that twenty seconds of thinking your favorite celeb knew who you are?!
To a certain extent, you can create that feeling with your target audience if you engage with them on social media. 🤩
On top of the instantaneous delight it provides, it also better familiarizes you with who makes up your following and who you want your brand to resonate with.
Plus, it complements the aforementioned intentions quite nicely.
Evolve into a Household Name
Remember when we mentioned you have to market to your target audience and to the marketplace your products are on here?
Content marketing has a similar idea: market it to your target audience and search engines. 🔍
Aside from a few outliers, this does not happen overnight, so do not become discouraged when you are not on the first page of Google after posting fire content for five consecutive days.
In order to climb up the ranks, your target audience is going to have to love it, and you will have to release clickable content consistently. 🧗♀️
Have a Cause
The list of differences between ecommerce and brick-and-mortar is endless, but one that is especially noteworthy is how shoppers are now choosing brands based on their values. People in favor of one or more of the several movements responsible for changing the landscape of society, many related to social justice, shop for brands that back and even actively partake in these initiatives.
Having your content reflect a cause your brand feels passionate about is a terrific way to catch your target audience’s attention.
Just make sure it is genuine.
The Method to the Madness
After you and your team have all agreed on what you want your content to convey, you still have to create it.
Maybe one person on the team is a huge proponent of written material, while another believes visual content makes the biggest impact.
Maybe you think audio is the most effective way to reach your target audience.
Guess what.
You can do them all!
To cater to your team’s desires, but more importantly, to your target audience, there are several ways to impart your brand’s message:
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Videos
- E-Books
- Social media posts
- User-Generated Content
- Social proof (testimonials and verified reviews)
- Quizzes
- And more!
The Internet has no shortage of options when it comes to ways your brand can connect with your target audience, which we should be grateful for because more than 70 percent of shoppers favor learning about brands by coming across their content over advertising.
Keep up with how customers want to perceive and feel about your brand, and the results will speak for themselves. 💯
