We’ve long known that content marketing is more effective than traditional advertising. It’s more valuable, less expensive, and we know it works. You might have already been using content marketing for years. Or maybe you’re completely new to it. Either way, you might ask yourself if it’s as effective as everyone says it is–and if so, how do you know you’re doing it right?
A big way to answer that question is to answer another question, “If everyone did the same thing I am doing, would it still work?” So, if you are targeting the most popular keywords, optimizing your pages, repurposing content, and just pumping it out, don’t you think you need to do a little more? If everyone in your industry did the same thing you are doing, how would you stand out?
You can’t win at content marketing with mere tactics. You can’t win on volume. Oh, sure, if you have a first mover advantage, maybe you can win for a while that way. But what happens when everyone sees what you are doing and tries to do the same? What then?
You don’t have a sustainable content marketing approach until you can honestly say that if everyone tried to copy what you are doing, it wouldn’t work. How do you get there? You start with your differentiation. You must have some audience or some problem that your offering is just perfect for–way better than the competition. (If you don’t, you have a bigger problem than content marketing can solve).
You need to identify that differentiation and then pitch all of your content marketing at that target. If you are really perfect for that situation, then writing about that audience’s problem will attract them to you–that’s the content marketing part–but it will work only if you really are better. Otherwise, you’ve attracted attention, but not too many people will actually buy, which is, gee, the point of marketing.
Now you might be thinking that you don’t know if you are ready for this. Or you might wonder how to get started so you can get ready for this. To find out, consider taking my online course on Content Marketing. Even if you have a sense of how to use content marketing, it’ll refresh what you know. If you’re a newcomer, then you’ll start to learn. Easy, straightforward, and packed full of information, it’s an inexpensive way to train you or your team to pin down the kind of content your audience needs. Click here to start.
What do the Michelin Guide, soap operas, and recipes for cooking with Campbell’s soup all have in common? They all started as content marketing.
Each one was considered a better way to attract customers to a brand than just spending more on advertising. But they had the disadvantage of requiring huge sums to distribute to their respective audiences. And that’s the good news for you–the Internet has now reduced distribution costs to nearly zero, so content marketing is within reach of even the most budget-challenged companies. All you need to do is to understand how to identify your audience, learn their content needs, and meet them. Which is actually what this course on content marketing will do for you. Learn how to reach your audience with quality content that won’t break the bank.
Modules
- What’s Wrong With Advertising?
- What Exactly is Content Marketing?
- How Does Content Marketing Work?
- The Four Steps to Content Marketing Success
- Step 1: Research Your Audience
- Step 2: Develop Your Content
- Step 3: Promote Your Content
- Step 4: Measure Your Results
- What’s Next For You?
