Content Marketing Without Social Media
October 17, 2017
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you already know just how popular of a tool social media is for getting the word out about products or services. Like many of us, your daily feed is probably cluttered with different promoted posts, videos, and other content that businesses share on their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages every day.
Just like many of your customers, you’ve become desensitized to the constant bombardment of posts you see in your social media feed every day. Chances are you’ve heard of content marketing and are wondering about different ways you can reach your target market.
If you’re looking for creative marketing ideas that can help you stand out in an already crowded marketplace, this post is for you.
Content Marketing
For those of you who aren’t exactly familiar with what content marketing entails, here’s a refresher. In basic terms, content marketing is the process of delivering valuable content to an audience with the hope of converting that relationship to dollars.
Businesses have used many different tools as part of their content marketing strategies and have found creative ways to deliver value to their audiences. Here I’ve put together the most common ones with some successful examples. Take a look!
Blogs
Blogging is one of the best-known content marketing tools that businesses use to reach their target market. It’s flexible, simple, and above all, can reach a large audience at once. Millions of blogs are published every year and reach billions of readers world-wide.
The most popular blogs circulating the internet today have one essential component in common, value. Whether it’s a detailed “how-to” article from Hubspot or a news article from Forbes, the most shared online content provides a clear value to its audience.
The most shared and viewed articles usually feature content written for a specific audience that addresses a common problem and solution. For example, every week I read SEM Rush which is a blog related to components and best practices of SEO.
This is a great opportunity for SEM rush to post new information regarding SEO and also builds their credibility. Whenever I’m looking to improve my website or want to purchase subscriptions for SEO tools, I go to SEM Rush.
From establishing credibility and providing true value through their blog, SEM Rush has been able to convert me from a simple reader to a customer and brand ambassador. When using blogs as part of your content marketing, you need to deliver clear value for your audience and be willing to capture their business in return.
Workshops/Seminars
One of the perks of working for a creative advertising and marketing firm is the true sense of community that’s established in our industry. Every month local agencies, professionals, and freelance gurus hold events to showcase their knowledge and help colleagues with challenges they face.
From simple workshops that highlight tips for small businesses to seminars on integrated marketing campaigns, companies and clients are able to come together to share their ideas. This is one of the most popular ways companies in our industry build their credibility and provide value to potential clients.
Similar to the blogging example I shared about SEM Rush, companies that host these events are able to build a relationship with potential clients and help solve their unique challenges. From building this relationship, they are able to open a line of communication with new customers and become a trusted source of information.
I’ve seen companies that were looking for basic information on how to promote their brand become full-partners with agencies who have hosted these events. Bottom line, the stronger you can form a relationship based on value, the more likely your customers will seek and engage with your content marketing efforts.
Online Videos
Video marketing is a popular way for companies of all sizes to share unique ideas across the internet. With the advent of YouTube and smartphones, users of all skill levels have been able to create some pretty captivating and viral videos.
From the traditional high school student trying to become famous, to creating the most talked about Super Bowl commercial, online videos are one of the easiest ways to get people talking about ideas.
I know I went over value in regards to blogs, workshops, and seminars. With videos the basic principle of value still applies but in a different way. With videos, the value attached is usually from social sharing.
Whenever a video is created by a big name company, for instance Frito Lay, there has to be a strong reason why someone would want to watch it. Companies create commercials every day and the question you need to ask yourself is what makes someone voluntarily sit down and watch a short video versus fast forwarding with their DVR?
The snack food maker Doritos mastered this during their 2011 Super Bowl campaign. With a simple YouTube video submitted by a fan, Doritos was able to gain an unprecedented following on their account and website. To date, their user-generated videos have been viewed millions of times across YouTube and have been discussed about in classrooms and break tables all across America.
Content Marketing features complex components that need to work together in order to successfully convey value to an audience. From common platforms like social media to viral content posted on a YouTube channel, the possibilities are endless if you can open a line of communication and get customers talking about your brand.
Looking to put together a powerful Content Marketing strategy for your business? Think VIG!