What is Content Marketing?
What is Content Marketing?
If you’re looking into a new digital marketing plan or just updating an old one, you’ve more than likely been told something about content marketing. But what exactly is content marketing?
Content marketing in simple terms is when you create content in hopes of being seen by your target market. This isn’t direct promotional advertising but instead general content that answers questions, explains common problems or even just offers resources for people to enjoy. You’re working to become what’s known as a thought leader. As a thought leader, people will look to you for guidance when they have questions regarding your industry. Not only will that drive traffic to your site, but it also creates brand recognition and – when the client is actually ready to buy – brand recall. You are trying to create an association between your brand and your industry. Pretty straightforward, right?
Content can come in many different forms, be it articles, photos, infographics, videos, ebooks, etc. The key is to figure out who it is you are talking to (target market), what they want to know and how they will best hear your message.
It’s totally normal to have multiple target markets with completely different needs. Actually, in terms of content, you’ll probably prefer it! Different needs means more content freedom and variety, making it easier to find new content ideas.
So how do you choose a target market?
First, Inc. magazine advises you to see who is currently buying from you. Then check out what your competition is doing. If your competition is selling to the same people, maybe consider finding a demographic they aren’t targeting. Is there any way you could reach someone they’re not?
Next, you’re going to want to do a little market research about your products and services. What benefits do you offer? Who would those benefits help? How would they help? Begin to list out and decide who could be interested in or benefit from your product.
After deciding on a general type of person, you can begin to get even more detailed on your description of your target market. Inc. includes defining things like “age, location, gender, income level, education level, marital status, occupation and ethnic background,” as well as things like “personality, attitudes, values, interests/hobbies, lifestyles and behaviors.” Doing this will give you a more precise image of where and how to target them later on.
Once you’ve done all of that, it’s a good idea to review your results to make sure your hypothetical targets are actually viable. Inc. suggests asking things like, “Are there enough people who fit my criteria?” [1]. If you define your target market too much, you can leave yourself with a very small group of people that are too difficult to reach. So keep your market open enough to ensure you have a decent-sized group to talk to.
Once you decide who you are talking to and what they want to know, you can begin to make your strategy.
How do I create content for my target market?
Now that you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to start coming up with some content ideas. Using your nicely defined target market, find some areas you want to focus on. What are your target market’s problem areas? What questions are they asking?
The answers to these questions are the beginning of your content strategy. Your strategy will serve as a guide for your content and content library. Talk to your team and decide on a few general topics you can cover for each target market that can answer or speak to potential themes from your industry and target market. These ideas are then turned into content that, depending on the platforms, will be released anywhere from 20 times a month, to one to two times a day according to Forbes [2]. Because creating content consistently is such a big task, most companies hire other companies to create content or, for companies with bigger budgets, bring on another employee to handle the work. Talk to your team to decide the best plan of action.
Let’s talk about the actual content for a second. The most common forms of content are articles, videos and infographics. These are easy to work into any blog/content library. But if you’re feeling confident and are looking for something new to give your audience, Hubspot lists some other options like whitepages, testimonials or even memes. Think about your market and what they’re most likely to respond to, then choose the form accordingly.
When creating content, keep in mind your keywords and SEO. Choosing good keywords to use throughout the copy of your content can help a lot on your SEO. If your company doesn’t consistently rank on the first page on the search engine results page (SERP), then you might want to focus your energy more on long-tail keywords. These are more specific phrases that are going to relate better to your specific market (this is where all your hard work on target market research pays off).
For more information on SEO and keywords, click here.
Where should I post my content?
Now let’s talk about channels. While in a perfect world, your website would be your main channel for information, we’re in a world where we have to go to buyers to be seen. So where can you reach your market?
Social media can be one of your biggest helpers in this area. You can create a page for your business, share your content, create event pages, ask for comments or testimonials, and even have a paid sponsor talk about your products (like when celebrities brag about household items). The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. But remember that every platform has a different personality and demographic that it serves, so use the proper channels for your market
Here’s a short list of sites you can use to share your content:
- Youtube
For a deep look at the demographics of each site, check out this study on Sprout Social.
What are some examples of content marketing?
Depending on the size of your business, and the amount you’re willing to invest in your content library, you can create something as simple as a blog, or something as extensive as a separate support hub of content.
We’re going to look at a couple examples to paint a better picture. And to make it easier to compare, we’re gonna look at two banks.
Let’s start with a smaller content library.
This is an example of a regional bank in Jefferson City, Missouri. They have separated their content library into something they call the “Learning Center”.
The “Learning Center” has been divided into different sections, probably based on the bank’s target markets. Each section has sub-categories that drop down to show all the related articles. They also have a search bar where customers can search to find an answer to a specific question.
Then they have a Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn presence. Facebook posts include a variety of employee triumphs, articles from the site and fun pictures and memes that would interest their target audience. LinkedIn has a more professional mix, including polished videos, job opportunities and professional financial advice. On Youtube, you can find a mix of demo videos, commercials, and help videos that explain common financial problems.
Solid amount of content for a regional bank.
Now let’s look at an even bigger bank: Bank of America.
Bank of America is the second largest bank in the U.S., giving them loads of credibility, recognition and resources to create marketing strategies. Subsequently, Bank of America has an entire separate page for their content library. They call it “Better Money Habits.”
As you can see, it has similar topics, and rightfully so since they’re both banks and are going after the same markets. So what’s the difference? The depth of content.
Better Money Habits is a complete hub of topics, questions and resources. Anything their target audience could need, they have. They have even partnered with Khan Academy, a well-known, free, online education center with almost every academic subject imaginable. Included are videos on every page, articles everywhere you look and trends on every topic they offer.
Better Money Habits also has many social platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Youtube and Google+. And what do they do on these platforms? They spread quality content designed for a specific target market. Every platform has something different and offers a new perspective that hadn’t been seen before. So how come Bank of America is able to do so much?
Money.
In order to maintain the social channels, Bank of America has teams of people that control their social media and content. It wouldn’t be able to work if they didn’t. That’s the difference between a giant, national bank and a regional bank. Central Bank has used the resources and team members they have to create a consistent content library and social media presence on multiple platforms. And unless you also own a $2.38 trillion business, you will be doing the same.
So, start out small. Create content that speaks to your market’s needs and desires. It may seem like a hassle but it’s well worth the effort. According to Content Marketing Institute, “content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing” and “generates more than three times as many leads.” [3] So what are you waiting for? Why not start today?
[1] How to Define Your Target Market, Inc.
[2] A Guide to How Often and When to Post Content, Forbes
[3] Why is Content Marketing Today’s Marketing? 10 Stats That Prove It, Content Marketing Institute
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