There’s no denying it: storytelling rules in the marketing world.
While social media marketing is definitely on the rise among businesses, we’re also seeing an increase in another form of digital marketing — content marketing. Whether your business is big or small, the demand for digestible, engaging storytelling is driving businesses to get their story told in numerous ways: blogs, articles, ebooks, YouTube videos, among others.
So why is content marketing the new buzzword? Well, to start, content marketing involves providing useful information that potential consumers can benefit from. The consumer engages with the content because they decide to, not because they have been forced to. Essentially, content marketing is storytelling that attracts and engages a customer.
How can a business use content marketing to their advantage? For example, if you run a boutique hotel in Los Angeles, you may decide to start a blog around the best spots to visit in the city. This may include the best restaurants in Los Angeles, or the best shopping destinations. If you run a fitness studio, you may decide to provide a podcast on ways to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, or tips on healthy cooking.
If you want your content marketing pieces to shine, there are a few things one must keep in mind:
- Use pictures and images: It is a proven fact that people are more interested in reading content that has some sort of colorful visual.
In fact, content with engaging photos and imagery get 94 percent more views than those without images.
- Get your visitors to all the right places: Creating a strong user experience will only help attract and ultimately convert customers, so make sure your headlines and descriptions within emails and social media posts connect and link to the right landing pages.
- Create content on topics your customers will enjoy: Taking time to research your target market will only ensure that your potential customers will engage with the blog or eBook. Research and determine what topics will attract readers, and ultimately connect to the product or service you’re offering.
Looking to start a content marketing program? Learn about EDK’s content marketing services.