Is content marketing still King in 2018, and will it be throughout 2019?
Yes!
Content is king. This is probably the most-used buzzword in marketing. And it rightfully deserves it. Content — blogs, video, podcast, infographics, etc. — will always be one of the best low-cost marketing strategies out there to inspire, engage, attract, and convert potential customers.
Just imagine, in 2016 over 90% of businesses jumped into the content marketing bandwagon to keep up with the fast-paced digital world. And that number has and will just keep on growing. Both startups and established businesses are using the content marketing ladder to get their brand out there and use it to become more successful. Here’s why:
- Compared to traditional marketing, lead generation in content marketing is 38% cheaper.
- Compared to paid search marketing, content marketing returns 3x more leads for every dollar spent.
- Customers nowadays don’t just buy. They read and do their research. The more relevant content you have out there, the greater your chances of inspiring customers to seek out your product. According to this infographic, 60% of people purchase a product after reading about it.
Now that you know why content marketing is still gaining a lot of attention, let jump into the most important question:
How to Choose a Content Marketing Topic that Delivers the Best ROI?
There’s no silver bullet to content marketing. But there are tested and proven steps that you can follow.
1. Have a Clearly Defined Goal For Each Piece of Content You Produce
“Begin with the end mind” – Stephen R. Covey
Starting with the end in mind is key to successful content marketing. Do this by clearly defining what you expect from each content piece you produce. Below are some of the common organisational goals for content marketing:
- Lead generation
- Sales
- Lead nurturing
- Brand awareness
- Engagement
- Customer retention
- Upselling or cross-selling
2. Find a Topic Your Audience is Most Interested In
You might have a jaw-dropping blog post but if nobody wants to read it, it’s useless. So how do you find a content topic that gets the attention of your audience? You brainstorm. Use tools like Buzzsumo and Google Trends to see what are the hottest topics in your niche and remember to always keep your target audience in mind and what they care about. Don’t just write what others are writing. Find a way to stand out.
By producing content that your prospective and current customers are interested in, you are not just generating traffic towards your business. You are also building brand awareness and trust. The primary focus of content marketing is not sales from the get-go — it’s attracting the right audience and keeping your current audience warm. Engaging and nurturing until they are ready to buy.
Another key thing to keep in mind is how sociable your content or topic is. Is it funny? Is it shareable? Use social/viral elements in your content to maximise its exposure in the web.
3. Get to Know Your Evergreen Content
Not all content is meant to be viral. One hot topic today may become stone cold tomorrow. However, there is content that doesn’t expire. This content is called evergreen content.
“How to Tie a Windsor Knot” may not sound too sexy and clickbaity but it can bring a lot of traffic to your site if it reaches the top of Google. Have a good balance of trending topics and evergreen content in your content marketing strategy to maximise your return on investment.
4. Match your Content with the Various Stages in the Buying Cycle
In marketing, a prospective customer goes through a buying cycle before he or she makes a sure purchase. A typical buying cycle is made up of three steps: (1) Awareness, (2) Consideration, and (3) Purchase, before moving onto Loyalty and Advocacy. The key to developing great content depends on how well you understand these stages.
Matching your content with each of these steps will greatly maximise your ROI. Let’s briefly discuss each step of the buying cycle below:
Stage 1: Awareness
During this stage, your audience is “aware” that they have a problem. So, they start looking for a solution. For example, if your prospective customer is a tourist planning to visit Tasmania, he’ll probably start making searches like:
“Best beaches in Tasmania”
“Top restaurants in Tasmania”
“Unique Air BnB in Tasmania”
Matching your content to this need will help you appear in searches and other related channels. And once your prospective customer finds you, they’ll enter the second stage.
Stage 2: Consideration
Mr Tourist found you online and has read your “Unique Air BnB in Tasmania” blog post. During the consideration stage, Mr Tourist will want to know if your hotel is the best option out there. So, he’ll probably go back to Google and search:
“Why Your Air BnB is the most unique in Tasmania”
“Your Air BnB vs. Your Competitor”
Creating content that fulfils this need is crucial to keeping your prospective customers interested in YOUR business. And when they know that you’re the best option out there, they’ll move to stage three.
Stage 3: Purchase
Finally, Mr Tourist is ready to book with you. To assist him in this stage of the buying cycle, create content that outlines your booking procedure and what to expect once you book. Keep him excited by writing about unique features, close by attractions, events on in the area and that fabulous restaurant with a scenic sea view and high trip advisor ratings. Create content that upsells, engages, and answers any questions he might have while doing business with you.
Matching your content with each stage of the buying process makes sure that every piece of content you produce is relevant to your target audience. Thus, maximising your ROI.
Conclusion
Content marketing is not an overnight success. It requires thoughtful planning, consistency and time. Your success in content marketing does not depend on the number of blogs posts or YouTube videos you produce, as long as it’s regular, is high quality, relevant, and having the right distribution channel.
Need help developing your content marketing strategy? Let’s chat.