Content is king. It’s an age-old phrase, but one that is still very relevant in today’s digital world. It’s not good enough to just create stunning copy anymore though, as the crowded nature of the world means it will always be competing with other content for visibility and recognition.
This is where content marketing comes into play. As with the products and services you sell, you also need an effective marketing machine behind your content creation – a machine that does everything from idea generation to social outreach.
I’ve been an SEO expert for nearly 10 years and over this time, I’ve noticed the importance of effective content marketing go up and up and up. Quite simply, it’s now a must for every website and company wanting to make a mark in their industry.
If you’re serious about boosting your content and accelerating your business’ development, why not contact me today to learn more about how content marketing can help you?
What is Content Marketing?
Okay, so let’s answer the biggest question first: what exactly is content marketing?
In essence, it’s the creation of fantastic content, followed by effective marketing to make best use of what’s just been created.
Think of it like this: your content is an asset to your business. It can inform, inspire, sell – essentially, it can do anything the writer wants from it. And what do you do with assets in business? You make best use of them, that’s what.
That awesome piece of content serves barely any purpose when it just gets added to your blog, away from the eyes of the overwhelming majority of those interested in your industry. Instead, it needs to be planted front and centre, thrust into the view of readers.
If you can provide the two vital elements of content marketing – industry-leading content and effective promotion – you then have the key needed to boost visibility, grow customers and enhance SEO.
It really is that simple, even if some do try to make it sound like a complex process. What’s more, I can do it all for you, from the creation of winning content, through to the effective marketing needed to make full use of this valuable asset you have.
Content Marketing Process
Now you know exactly what content marketing is, I’ll let you know the basic process used to ensure everything is done in the most effective way. This is the plan I use for every one of my content marketing clients, ranging from international businesses, through to small local businesses near me in Essex, UK.
Content Audit
Before anything can be done, a thorough audit must be performed. This audit is a lengthy process, and it needs to be. Without fully understanding the content you already have and how well it’s performing, it’s impossible to determine where to go next with your strategy.
A look through your content will answer some key questions, such as which pieces of content have connected with readers, and which pieces of content have overstayed their welcome and need deleting or updating.
I’ll also look at other metrics too, including social shares, content length and visitor behaviour. Once I’m finished, I’ll have a completely clear understanding of your current content.
Understanding your content isn’t enough though. Any good content marketing audit will also look at your competitors. What are they doing successfully? What have they missed? What are the opportunities that could be exploited to boost your business?
Only once I fully audit your site and those of your competitors, will I move onto the next stage of the process: content strategy.
Content Strategy
It’s still not time to start writing, as the next part of the process is content strategy. To formulate this, I’ll need to understand a number of key points, including:
- What your overall goals are
- What the unique selling points of your business are
- Who your audience is
- What solutions content could bring to that audience
- The type of content that works best for your audience
- Where content will be published
- How the content will eventually be marketed
This is a vital step in the process. Without sound strategy, you’ll effectively be stumbling through the content creation process, with no idea of what your goals are, why you’re writing and who is being targeted. The goal is laser-focused content, specifically aimed at your target audience.
Content Creation
Now comes the fun bit – the creation of the content. I’ll get to work alongside a writer and come up with something your readers simply have to see, whether this is a blog post, press release or any of the many other forms of content out there.
Every piece of content will be perfectly thought out and then meticulously created. After all, what’s the point in creating content if it’s not going to be the best around? The little things will also be included, like required images and meta titles and descriptions.
There’s not a huge amount more to say about content creation, however please be assured that it’s the most important part of the process. The goal is content your readers will love, and we won’t stop writing until we achieve that goal.
UX and Design
Next, we come to an often-overlooked part of the process. While you might have the perfect piece of content, its value is significantly diminished if it isn’t presented in the right way.
When I publish any piece of content, I always ensure that the user experience – often simply referred to as UX – is as intuitive as possible.
When it comes to content, there are a number of ways to use design to boost UX. For example, I’ll create many breaks in the page, to make the entire piece less intimidating to a reader.
I’ll also add other forms of content too, if required, such as images, graphs and other graphics. Essentially, I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to give readers the easiest possible experience.
Publication
Next comes the publication of the content. This could be anywhere, however the majority of content is going to go directly on your own website. After all, don’t you want to keep the best content around for yourself?
It can also be the case that content is published on other platforms too though. For example, it could be used as a guest post on an industry leading website.
We’ll talk through publication options during the strategy stage, however it’s flexible, so can be changed if needed.
Content Promotion
Now we come to the final part of the process: content promotion. This is the bit where I shout loudly about your content and get people to sit up and take notice. There are many different ways to effectively promote content, including:
- Social media campaigns
- Emails
- Reaching out to industry heavyweights and influencers
- Contacting other websites related to your field
- Repurposing for other mediums, such as an infographic
Content promotion isn’t just a quick process. Instead, I’ll spend a considerable amount of time getting your content out there.
This will, in turn, cause your brand to be more recognisable and drive more visitors to your website. More visitors should equal more sales, and the process will then have been worth it for your business.
Types of Content
There are many different forms of content that could be used to promote your business. You’ll find just a few of the options open to you below…
Blog Posts
Blog posts are the most commonly created content and represent a fantastic way to move your business forward. It’s not good enough to blast out quick 500-word blogs anymore though.
Instead, people – as well as search engines – want comprehensive answers to their questions.
These comprehensive answers generally mean that any blog post is usually going to be in excess of 1,500 words. For really competitive niches, word count could be around 5,000 words, or perhaps even higher.
The basic premise is this: offer something better than anything else out there.
Press Releases
Some say that press releases are no longer useful, however I disagree. Sure, there’s now no point in sending out press release after press release for mundane, everyday events, however they’re still worth using for big occasions – occasions you want the world to know about.
Press releases are generally pretty short, however they follow a set pattern and need to be done correctly. Distribution can be tricky for those without knowledge of the process, however I will distribute any press release widely, gaining as much attention for you as possible.
Web Copy
Every website has to have great copy – without it, the site simply won’t perform to anywhere near its potential.
While there is not much marketing that can be done for web copy, top content needs to be in place before visitors start heading to your site. The content on your website will be one of the first things I look at during your audit.
Product Descriptions
As with your site’s web copy, product descriptions are also vital. After all, why get loads of traffic visiting your site but then fail to capitalise on this by having poor, uninspiring product descriptions?
I’ll work out which product descriptions need updating, and which are working well as they are. This is something I’ll do during the initial audit of your site.
Landing Pages
A landing page is a vital aspect of many websites. Its purpose is to form part of a sales funnel, persuading visitors to make the purchase you want them to.
Landing pages need to be written by an expert, as they must combine elements of marketing and creativity together in order to lead to the best possible result.
Social Media Posts
Social media is now a must for every company. I will use social media posts to promote any new content your site releases, plus I’ll also author longer form posts, designed to get the attention of readers and encourage them to visit your website.
I’m able to work with all social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Boost Your Presence with Content Marketing Today
So, now you know pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about content marketing, plus you should also recognise just how important it should be to your business.
From increased visitors through to boosted SEO, this is something you should really be paying attention to, especially if you’re finding it tough to break through to the next level in your industry.
I’m always happy to chat more with anyone looking to learn about content marketing or any of the other services I offer. Why not drop me a message today to find out exactly how I can help your business to thrive?
FAQs
This answer is a simple one, as content marketing is suitable for every industry. The only requirement is that the business in question wants to expand and attract more customers. Regardless of the industry your business is in, I will be able to create a bespoke content plan, designed to give your business the biggest boost possible.
I work with an external content writer, who writes content for all my clients. You can be assured that every piece of content created for your campaign will be completely unique and not copied directly from other sites or AI generated. I evaluate all content before it goes live and will only allow the best content to be associated with your business.
I use a number of different metrics to measure how a content marketing campaign has impacted your business. The biggest is simply the number of extra visitors your site receives though. Using Google Analytics, I can look closely at the extra traffic and use this information to tweak your campaign in the future.
Essentially, content marketing is a specific part of the SEO process. While content marketing focuses solely on the creation and promotion of content, SEO also focuses on many other areas, both on and off your website. I believe that the best possible results are earned by those who concentrate not only on content marketing, but also on all other areas of SEO as well.
This really does depend on a number of factors, including how much content you’ll need, how technical the content is and how long I’ll have to spend promoting the content. I can guarantee a fair and transparent price though, so please contact me for a quote. I aim to reply to all enquiries within 24 hours of them being sent.