One of the best things you can do for your brand is to develop and implement a content-based market strategy through your website, blog, and related social media networks. However, there are huge numbers of individuals who only go halfway with their content marketing – it is not enough to update your blog once in a while and link to Twitter whenever you remember to.
If you want to really reap the seeds of success that effective content can generate for you, you have to ask yourself three questions. The answers to these questions will point you in the direction that will get you the results you are looking for.
The first of these questions is as follows:
• Are You Overtly Trying To Use Content To Sell?
It is perfectly okay to admit that the whole purpose of content marketing is to increase exposure and drive up sales as a result. What is not okay, however, is the attempt to throw in your sales pitch whenever you think it might help you out.
An informational article should be just that – informational, objective, unbiased. Adding a product pitch makes the content less credible and drives away customers.
• Is Your Campaign Too Narrow?
There are multiple dimensions to an effective content marketing strategy. A weekly blog post is a start, but does much better when combined with a regular email newsletter, videos that help acquaint people with your brand and product, and more.
Posting on related topics and even on other websites, as a guest, is a great way to increase your exposure. Not everything has to be strictly about your product – go further and engage your audience on the lifestyle that this product encourages.
• Do You Offer Value?
This is an incredibly important step to successful content marketing. If you pretend that your content should increase your exposure just because it is related to the subject, you are only fooling yourself. Content should be useful, targeted at people who can benefit from it, and designed to improve their lives through better understanding of the subject.
