Using the right content for your marketing; How to make it work for your business

We’ve already looked at ‘brand marketing’ in this series – but what of ‘content marketing’? Is it the same thing? How even do I go about ‘marketing with content’?

Hold your horses!

Let’s consider the broader picture. If marketing is concerned with drumming up more business through promotional activity, then by extension, content marketing is the use of, er, content (!) to secure new customers.

But what do we mean by ‘content’? So many things: blogs, videos, podcasts, memes, GIFs – social media posts even.

Time was, in order to push your company out there, you had to advertise – in print, TV, or radio. But with so many different online channels available now, it’s easy to create your own content and show the world what you do.

However, sometimes it’s even more effective to show them content that’s related to what you do and focuses on a broader purpose.

Say you make… ceramic plant pots. You could, for example, start writing a gardening blog – hosted on your website – something that offers useful, hands-on advice; has year-round appeal; and is directly related what you’re doing.

In addition, you could create a series of short video posts that shows you at work in your studio – posting them everywhere from Instagram to Twitter and Facebook. You could even partner with other companies who create complementary products to yours and either cross-promote each other’s content or collaborate on some pieces.

Ultimately, good content marketing is about creating material that your target customers will enjoy – before drawing their attention to it, and enticing them back to your site.

Need some tips? Consider:

What kind of material showcases my products and services in the best light?

What can I say or do that shows customers something interesting, useful, or funny?

How can I relate that to my business?

What content creation skills can I make best use of?

Where are my target customers most likely to see my content?

Which social channels should I use to reach them?

Are there any other ways I can better promote my content?