If you are going to invest in content marketing, ensure that you have fighting chances to get picked up. You may want to ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you going to provide a unique content?
- What value does my article bring to the readers?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it informative?
- Is it something worth sharing?
Content marketing done the right way is one the best ways to build your brand and gain significant traffic. Being viral is a colossal feat. But, this can only happen with a perfect combination of high quality content and excellent distribution efforts.
How do you utilize content marketing, then?
Boost social media presence
One of the most cataclysmic moves that most marketers are guilty of when using social media is putting emphasis on the “selling” piece rather than establishing relationships with consumers through engagement kind of branding. They are forgetting the very reason why people are on Facebook or Twitter, they want to share their stories.
Generate an interesting content without hard-selling. Use a striking image that summarizes all that your article has to say. This is one way of getting your story out there and being “liked” and “shared” by thousands.
Another tip: Facebook users love countdowns – the top 10 most, worst, best etc.
Be your own brand journalist
Being a blogger is similar to being a brand journalist. The latter is more committed to creating and telling stories that will attract consumers to take a closer look at your products and services. This comes with the intent of engaging the public to your brand.
You must remember three things when you want to be an effective brand journalist:
- Create show stopping headlines
- Create an engaging 50 words or less lede (first paragraph of the story)
- Create a structured argument
Concentrate on graphics and images
Have you seen an infographics? Why do you think Instagram reached a billion dollar valuation for using photo filters? Instagram and inforgraphics aside from having “I” as the beginning letter, are both visually engaging.
Once upon a time, there is an automatic snooze fest whenever a set of statistics is presented and you just drown in texts and numbers. Then came infographics, an innovative way of interpreting data.
Use SlideShare
SlideShare is dubbed as the quiet giant of content marketing. It is the largest community for presentation sharing. It has over 60 million visitors monthly with over 100 million page views.
For small businesses, getting out there is important. Aside from Facebook that could possibly augment your social media presence, being on SlideShare will give that more serious and professional image.
Take time to create a visually stunning presentation for SlideShare.
Stick with freshly squeezed lemon content
Always try to standout and do things differently. The internet is already filled with low quality and pushy articles. Make sure that what you offer is something unique and brings a lot of value to readers.
Try to make the readers feel like “they have just watched a good movie” after reading your article.
Guest blogging
Find blogs that run around the same niche and attract the same target audience. Contact the administrator or owner if you can provide content for them. After publishing an article, practice the mantra of “love your own”.
Actively engage readers and commenters in your piece. Also, as a courtesy, you may want to invite the owner to write for your website as well. This syndication can get you more exposure and establish your network.
Try webinars
Webinars are more aggressive. This is where you deliver your content through training sessions for interested consumers. This is presenting to a virtual audience. You may have to invest a great deal of time and effort for this one.
Before jumping into content generation, digest these tips to be able to immerse your audience. The authentic and organic voice of the public will deepen brand engagement in the long run.
Photo Credit: Flickr/ShashiBellamkonda
