Content Marketing – What, why and how

Before getting into Content Marketing maybe we should define what is “Content” and see why it needs to be marketed at all.

Content is a generic word used for the information we offer and share with others through our website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media channels.  It can be just a joke, or it can be an interesting fact, some news, some views, recipe of a good food, an informative article, a picture, or video or could be anything and everything that can be shared. 

As much as the types of content vary, the objectives of sharing the same also vary.  Some create the content only for personal satisfaction, some for fun, some for sharing knowledge and some use content creation and sharing as business.

For a vast majority of content creators, barring those who create content only for personal satisfaction, spreading the content is important, as the more people see and view their content, the more fun and satisfaction and the feedback they get.  Specifically, for those of us, which is a big majority too, who use content creation and sharing as a business, it matters a lot as the more viewers and readers the more are the monetary benefits.  And generally, nothing gets spread unless marketed, hence the important of Content Marketing and this article.

With cell phones with a camera and other smart phones in almost every hand and with internet facilities so affordable and easily available, it is no surprise that Content creators have mushroomed.  And it’s a global phenomenon.  One can find literally 100s of thousands of content creators for almost any topic one can think of.  Some are good, some are not as good, but they are there, trying to find their space and share and spread their contents to more and more people.  In this competitive world where information is abundant, but attention spans are short, only good content marketers survive or make money.  For bloggers and website owners, content marketing is more than a plan; it is the essence that keeps their online presence alive and growing.

In this complete guide, we’ll look at what content marketing is, why it’s important for the success of a blog or website, and how to keep it fresh and engaging.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is the process of strategically and consistently creating, distributing, and promoting such content that attracts and engages a certain target group of audience. It’s not just about selling a product or service; it’s also about developing relationships, building trust, and providing information that is relevant to your target audience.  Content marketing uses numerous content formats and channels to create credibility and gain loyalty, and eventually to generate revenue from client engagement.

For blogs and websites, content marketing acts as a link between creators and their users, boosting organic traffic and building brand loyalty.

Why Content Marketing Important?

Content marketing helps in:

• getting better ranking in search engines
• increasing visibility of the content
• bringing more visitors, viewers, and readers
• rendering the content being more correct and valid.
• establishing credibility
• making the audience more engaged
• converting visitors into customers

How to do Content Marketing

1.  Create High Quality Contents:  First and most important part of Content Marketing is to create good quality content.  Quality of content means that the content should be original, correct, current, valid, concise, relevant to the topic, easy to understand and presented well.   Good quality content is generally valued more by its viewers or consumers.   Search engines also prefer well-written, relevant content, so it is essential to improve search engine rankings. A better rank means higher display on the search results which in turn means more visibility, more visitors, viewers, readers and/or consumers of the content.  traffic, and a bigger audience for your blog or website.

•  Use Variety:  Another important part of Content Marketing is offering introducing variety in contents instead of sticking to one or few particular topics, types, styles and/or channels.  People enjoy variety and it keeps them engaged.   Experiment with blog postings, infographics, videos, podcasts, and interactive media.  Different formats respond to different audience desires, resulting in increased overall engagement.

•  Follow a schedule:  It is always considered good to follow a schedule in your content posting.   Only you and your objectives and size and nature of contents can best define the number and frequency of posting suitable to you but the key point here is to make a plan and follow that.  Plan the topics, publication dates, and platforms ahead of time and stick to that plan.  Align your content posting frequency with your business objectives to ensure a consistent and focused approach.

•  Be Consistent:  As pointed out above you should plan topics, publication dates, and platforms ahead of time and stick to it.  Another important need is to be consistent with you plan and approach.  If you decided to keep content size to 50 words – keep it, if you plan to post weekly – do it, if you attach pics with your posts – attach pics and so on.  So be consistent with what you do and plan to do. 

•  Build a community – Interact/Communicate:  Create interactive content that provides your audience with the opportunity to comment, give feedback and/or make suggestions.  Maintain that interaction and communication live.  Timely respond to your audience’s questions and comments.  Encourage user interaction with engaging content. surveys, polls, quizzes, and debates.  Encourage your audience to actively participate in your platform, creating a sense of community and ownership.

•  Share/Spread the word:  Different people use different social media platforms or channels.  Spread yourself out.  Use other social media platforms and channels to share and spread your content.  Share updates, interact with your audience, and participate in discussions about your area. Social media is an effective way to distribute material and interact with your audience. 

•  Keep your content updated:  Update old material, refresh statistics, and check that links are still relevant. This ensures the accuracy of your material and indicates to search engines that your website is up-to-date and relevant.  The digital landscape is constantly devolving. Stay current on industry developments, emerging technologies, and changes in consumer behavior. Apply these ideas to your content strategy to stay active.

•  Optimize:  SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps generate organic traffic.  Periodically and regularly optimize your website for SEO.  To improve SEO, update and optimize material regularly. Conduct keyword research to uncover popular topics and include relevant keywords in the content you create. This ensures that your blog or website is visible to search engine algorithms.

Conclusion:

If you create content and if you want to gain something out of the same, emotionally, or financially, you need to market your content.  It’s a must, not an option.  Embrace content marketing as a dynamic, constantly evolving path that leads to long-term growth, audience loyalty, and the success of your digital plans.

Do you know what happens when you don’t market, nothing!  I mean literally.

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Babar Saeed

bsaeed@yahoo.com

January 29, 2024