Content Marketing: Building Audience Trust & Loyalty

Content Marketing in a Nutshell

First of all, let’s define content marketing succinctly. Content marketing is the process of creating, publishing, and circulating relevant information that engages a targeted audience and pushes them toward further brand interaction and eventually a purchase. Blog posts, eNewsletters, eBooks, video tutorials, infographics, etc. fall under the ‘content marketing’ umbrella.

The goal of content marketing is to get potential consumers to your website and involved with your brand. Think of content as a doorway which will eventually lead to sales. When producing content understand your target market’s specific needs and how your brand can be the solution or help remove challenges related to a problem. Don’t simply push your product or service. SHOW potential consumers why your brand fits their current situation and make your brand a true resource by providing valuable information that actually gets “digested” by the consumer.

So many forms of content delivery exist and as exciting new formats emerge brands can really take advantage of what’s available and incorporate those channels that best fit a company’s overall vision. Content marketing isn’t just for brands with a ton of eye candy, even “unsexy” industries like financial planning software can have a field day via YouTube videos, informative blogs, and eNewsletters detailing current industry trends. Your audience is out there, snag them with innovation.

Tips to Developing & Maintaining a Quality Audience

1. Numbers Game.

Real engagement is key to success. When exchanging money to distribute content, check your metrics and ensure your audience is checking out and spending time with your content. Are they returning? Be sure to track your audience’s behavior via Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and similar tools. You may find that you need to reevaluate the content being produced, delivery methods utilized, etc.

2. Howdy Partner.

Seek out allies who are authorities in their field, trusted resources, and also cater to the audience you’d like to attract. Create a guest post on their popular blog, offer up linkbacks to some of their content, run joint promotions, etc. Building partnerships allows for ideas to come into fruition and helps those with a modest content creation budget.

3. Keep Content Headlines Honest.

You’ve spent time and resources producing great content, don’t give into cheap click-baiting headlines. Sure you want your intended audience to click and read your content, but it’s a major turn-off if your content doesn’t deliver. Don’t hurt your trust factor.

4. Can You See Me?

How do your website and e-mails look on mobile devices? Bad? Make sure your content delivery methods are set up to be mobile responsive. Look around you. What are people doing? Most likely they are absorbed in whatever is on their mobile device screens. Don’t cut off this vital access point to your target market.

5. Keep Swimming.  

Don’t let yourself grow too comfortable. It takes work, but be sure to test out different content strategies and examine the data collected from these tests. Consider A/B testing emails and see what catches the attention of your subscribers. Numbers don’t lie, so use them as a road map for your overall content strategy.

6. Love is a Two-Way Street.

Sure you want your brand to get love from your target audience, but your brand needs to give love back. Put yourself into the shoes of your current/ potential consumers and empathize with them. Take their feedback to heart and work to refine brand communications. Keep in mind that successful brands know exactly how they impact the lives of their consumers and use that knowledge as fuel to drive all their actions.

Keep these tips in mind while evaluating your current content strategy and reap the benefits.