Google’s English dictionary by Oxford Languages defines content marketing as:
‘A type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.‘
‘Social media is an integral part of content marketing’ – example.
Google English Dictionary by Oxford Languages
If you have a business, trying to “stimulate interest” with content marketing is a bit vague and oversimplified. To start, remember, whether it is traditional advertisements or content marketing, people need to see it for it to have any chance of stimulating anything — exposure must come first.
10-Million Blog Posts
Everyday about 10-million blog posts are written. We assume all of these are written with the hope that they will “stimulate” something. This may seem like a big number, until you think about social media posts. On Twitter alone over 140-million tweets are sent each day. Obviously, there are a lot of other types of content, in addition to these, that are produced daily as well.
Thus, clearly the first goal of content marketing is for the content created to help attract and retain readers, viewers or followers. This can sometimes be done directly, with an existing audience, or fostered organically, through social media for example, or it may start as promoted content, that can be shared by the initial audience.
every campaign needs a clear plan for how it can achieve results and what metrics can be analyzed
Content Marketing Agency Perspective
From a content marketing agency perspective, every campaign needs a clear plan for how it will achieve results and what metrics can be analyzed to gauge return on investment (ROI). These analytics vary somewhat, depending on the type of content and how it is published.
As an example, for a blog post, metrics may include the number of new visitors, time-on-page, bounce rate and the number of returning visitors (which can be an indicator of audience retention). Outside sources sending new visitors to the blog should be analyzed to see if the post gained backlinks. Engagement can be gauged based on screen time, comments, social shares and how many visitors complete an email opt-in form, etc. Contact form submissions and online transactions are tracked as well.
before starting, insights are needed to know more precisely what content should be created in the first place
Metrics however, only come after the blog is written and posted. Even before starting, insights are needed to know more precisely what content should be created in the first place.
A content marketing agency will likely start with research on the topics that a an audience is interested in. This is usually done a few different ways. Such as looking at related topics trending on social media and researching relevant keywords being searched frequently. Insights into popular topics can also come through feedback from your existing audience based on prior post engagement and comments.
Hashtags, keywords, phrases
Even for content on popular topics, using the right hashtags, keywords, phrases etc, often makes a big difference in viewership. For example, comparing the term like monthly packages vs subscriptions — people are 20 to 30 times more likely to search for packages rather than subscriptions. See Why Offering Service Packages is Growing Rapidly.
It is also important to remember, whether it’s a social media campaign, blog or other content, one way or the other, there is almost always some type of computer algorithm in-between you and your audience.
As people see the content, success will then obviously depend on what it says. Good content marketing requires the right balance between creative writing and copywriting. Creative writing entertains, copywriting sells. It’s not just about being interesting, eventually your content needs to persuade, at least some portion of your audience, to do whatever it is your “stimulation of interest” is trying to achieve.
Consistency & Repetition in Content Marketing.
Another huge factor is consistency and repetition. Even if people, see it, read it, like it and are persuaded by it, you’re probably just getting started. Most of the time audiences need to see your message over-and-over, before they take action.
To achieve this, content marketing should be structured around some type of marketing funnel or remarking strategy. Let’s look at a basic example a content marketing agency might setup.
First, social media posts are created to build an audience and engagement. Some social posts link to on-page blog posts. Link tracking and cookies provide analytics and accumulate remarking data. The blog page will usually have a newsletter sign-up or call-to-action. The blog content itself may relate to a product and have a link to a product page. The product page allows further action, such as a purchase, and will usually have a chat feature and contact form.
Reconnecting with the target audience.
Your target audience can be reached again in various ways. With good content, for example, your social media following can be sustained and grow, allowing more posts to be seen. An email newsletter can be sent to those who opt-in. In addition to personal communication, an email drip campaign may go to those who complete a contact form. A remarking campaign can also run with promoted content.
Each campaign will differ, depending on the goal, strategy and other factors. What almost all do have in common is the need for repetition. To achieve that with content marketing, requires quality content your audience sees, likes, and that also stimulates interest.
Success is in the details.
In todays ultra-competitive online world, as with most things, success is usually in the details. Having a content marketing agency on your side can be the key difference. Our social media packages are a cost-effective service that additional marketing options can be added to. See them here or contact us for a custom quote.