Content marketing is, at its core, a fairly simple idea. You create content, then put it out there for people to see, and consume. That content draws and audience, and that audience sticks around for more content. In time the audience associates you with the content they like, and thus is positively inclined toward you. That means down the line, your audience would be more likely to support you, and their loyalty to your content can translate into loyalty to your business.
That’s all pretty abstract, though, so let’s use a more concrete example. Let’s say you ran an independent bookstore, and you decided to start a YouTube channel doing bad book readings. You find the worst books that come into the store, and make a performance out of dramatically reading them for your audience. It gains a following, and pretty soon you do in-person events as well as the channel. Users who watch the channel go to your website, or walk through your doors, because they want to shop at the store that makes those videos.
How do you decide what kind of content to make, though? What gets people’s attention, and keeps them coming back for more?
What is The Key To Content Marketing?
There’s a simple answer to this question; value.
Value is what gets your audience to sit up and take notice of the content you’re making. It’s why they tune-in day after day, week after week, to check out what you’re doing. It’s also what makes people share your content, telling their friends, family, and co-workers about the project you’re doing.
But what makes content valuable? Well, in short, valuable content fills a need your audience has. So ask yourself, what does your content do for the people watching it? Is it entertaining, like the bad reading videos example would be? Is it informative, as a blog about gardening tips or life hacks would be? Or does it offer your audience something else? Something they can only get from you, and the content you’re producing?
Keep Your Focus on Your Audience
One of the major mistakes you can make when it comes to content marketing is to ask, “what do I get out of this?” Remember, value is the key you’re focusing on. Not the value to you, and to your company, but the value to the consumers. You are, in essence, putting out bait to draw a crowd to you. You’re putting on a show, so you need to ask what your audience wants to see, and how you can provide it.
The reason this is so important is that content marketing is a long-term marketing strategy. Unlike an ad campaign, which needs to net results immediately, content marketing is a slow burn. You need to increase your visibility, and draw in an audience. You do that by creating quality content that gives people what they want. Whether that’s the latest happening in politics, funny reviews of movies, or how-to videos on cooking seemingly exotic dishes with ease, the value you provide is what keeps your audience coming back for more.
Once you have that audience, that is when you can think about yourself, and what they can do for you. That’s when you put a call to action in your content, urging those readers to check out your online store. It’s when you ask them to support you by spreading the word, and sharing your posts. In short, you need to do a favor for your audience (by giving them content they want) before you can turn around and ask them to do a favor for you.
For more advice on how you can create better content, and get more positive results, simply contact us today!
