The media is buzzing about “content marketing.” They are saying this marketing technique is the best way to gain and keep customers in today’s environment.
Content marketing is creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the goal of driving profitable customer action. (Like creating relevant blog posts that keep your customer coming back to your website!)
But what do marketing experts think?
Well, the pros are saying that 70 percent of that content — content that companies spend tons of manpower and research creating — is ignored.
Research and content creation is time consuming. Content typically has a short shelf life, white papers become dated after 6-12 months, webinars need to be updated regularly to maintain interest, and research is only deemed relevant until new research comes out. All of that AND many analytics are not able to reassure us that our content is even working to gain customers, make sales, or attaining whatever our content goal is.
Probably not what you wanted to hear. If you’re like me, this new information frustrated me. You mean to tell me that only 30 percent of the content I’m producing for my wonderful consumers is getting their attention?
So the question remains:
How can we stay relevant and reach our audiences with great content without bogging down our man-hours with research and content creation?
Here are some tips to use this news to your advantage:
- Make it your organization’s go al to create new content on a quarterly or biyearly basis. With a set goal in mind- you won’t feel overwhelmed trying to constantly create new content, but your content won’t become ignored or irrelevant either.
- Determine your key audiences. Who is visiting your website? Who do you want to be visiting your website? Who is interacting with you via social media? Who is opening your e-blasts?
- How can you package your content differently to reach each of your key audiences? Should it be wrapped and tied with a bow, or is your audience more of a bag with tissue paper audience? Can you personalize a photo for different audiences? What about adding personalized messaging?
- Create a call to action for each audience, clearly identifying what you want them to do with your content.
While having great content is key to keeping customers coming back for more, the ability to package that content in personalized ways can help the effectiveness of your content and save your organization from spending time and energy on creating endless unread content. Get your great content out there, to the right people, at the right times.
