Content Marketing is at the very centre of an effective marketing strategy for your business. Your customers don’t what a list of what you do they want to know why they should care.
In an ever-expanding marketplace quality content is what will make you stand out from the competition.
These 5 simple concepts working together will help your customers see your business as Credible, Authoritative and Trustworthy. In combination these create a powerful connection to your customer and will lead to them taking action.
It’s all Thanks to the BBC
The first 3 have been around for 91 years and have certainly helped this very famous corporation stand out.
In 1927 Lord Reith took over at Director General of the BBC and his idea, which it still stands today, was that everything the BBC produces should Inform, Educate or Entertain. These are the first 3 cornerstones we will address today.
The vital consideration when creating content is its relevance to your existing and potential customers. The more relevant your posts are to your audience the more likely they are to engage.
Engagement not Sales.
Ensuring your content informs, educates or entertains means that the people who interact with your posts don’t feel sold to. You are providing information that is of value to them, this helps to build trust and rapport, which in turn makes customers more invested in your business and more likely to buy.
Good content creates an environment where customers feel invested enough to make a purchasing decision, you then point them to the place where thay can make that sale.
It’s Never About You
A very hard lesson to learn when running your own business is that your customers care very little about you. They are not buying to help you out, they are buying because they want something for themselves. So when planning your marketing strategy ensure you talk about them not you. How they will benefit from your products, the value they will get from them. In a very competitive world the things that differentiate us from our competitors are very small so the slightest advantage makes a difference. Good content marketing can make that difference.
So what should I Create?
You create content that will get a positive reaction from the customer, you do this by making it relevant to them. Here are some example.
Inform
- News Items, good news stories and reviews.
- Changes in legislation that may impact their businesses.
- Case studies showing the real value others gained from your product or service.
- Product demonstrations
- Features about the different departments or people in the company.
Educate
- Top tips
- Case studies and testimonials
- Tutorials
- Expert guest bloggers
- Frequently asked questions
Entertain
This is trickier than the others, but here are some ideas.
- Livestream an event or stream live from the office to introduce the team.
- Post about fundraising activity you have been involved in.
- Ask customers to post photos of them using the product.
- Run competitions
So these 3 principles will help you to create the content. However, this content needs to be wrapped up in the 2 final principles to make to truly effective.
Where’s the Relevance?
We are exposed to a huge amount of content every day. Tweets, TV adverts, emails, posters and leaflets assail us from all angles. To make your potential and existing customers stop and look you need to tell them what they want to hear.
Relevance is without a doubt the most important consideration when creating content. It doesn’t matter how cleverly written your blog is or how beautiful the photo you post. If the message is wrong, if it isn’t relevant, it will just sink into the background with all the other noise.
Understand who your customers are, differentiate their needs and create content that will speak to them. It is better to reach 10 people who care than 1000 who don’t.
Value, Value, Value!
“Price is only an issue in the absence of quantifiable value.” (Professor Malcom MacDonald)
People do not buy products, they buy value. Legislation has ensured that even the cheapest products are fit for purpose and will work. You can buy a watch for £10 or £100,000, regardless of cost they will both tell the time and do it well. What value does your product or service provide? Why does that make a positive difference to your customer? Why should they care about you rather than someone else?
Content that demonstrates what they will get from you will go a long way to securing a sale. So when you are posting content ask what Value it will bring to your business, but more importantly, ask what value it brings to your customers. Your content begins with them and ends with you.
The 5 Cornerstones of Content Marketing.
These basic principles are a fantastic place to start and a good guide to creating quality content. Put some time aside to start the process and enjoy creating it. You are after all talking about something you are already passionate and knowledgeable about… your business.
Inform, Educate, Entertain, with Relevance and Value to create Credibility, Authority and Trust
If you would like to see how you can support these principles through training, workshops and 1-2-1s visit the Social Media Savvy page of my website and I will be happy to discuss any way I might be able to help.
Happy creating.