Content marketing is a powerful mechanism that has helped brands grow really big. The content marketing industry alone is expected to yield $300 billion for marketers by the year 2019, whilst the marketers are already making millions out of it. As per the latest finding, as much as 89% of marketers have already adopted content marketing strategies to boost their brand, and 70% of marketers have plans to invest more in their content marketing efforts by the year 2018.
That says it all; content marketing is the magic stick every marketer is trying to use optimally. However, a deep look at statics shows that only 30% of marketers are able to exploit content marketing potential effectively. Amidst success sagas there lies marketers who were not successful in yielding big profits from content marketing. Actually, the content marketers who were able to strategize, plan and execute with keen eyes on the finest details were the ones who created those big success stories. Let’s have a sneak peek into their secrets and learn the proven ways to build your brand with content marketing:
# Hit the iron when it is hot: have a well-worked content calendar
Blogging is the top inbound marketing priority of 53% of marketers. Blogging appears to be turning up as an all-time favorite activity of marketers, having a specific message to convey to the target audience.
You can make the most of this activity if you plan and manage a content calendar for this purpose. A content calendar gives you an edge as you can visualize the plan in advance, evaluate the outcomes of your blogging efforts at the year-end, learn which strategies worked best for you, and stick to them for better brand positioning.
A content calendar empowers you in more ways than one. Here’s how:
- You can plan & work as per the crucial dates and major events in your industry
- If there is any gap in actual content planning, you still have time to act upon & fill the gap with sufficient, specific content
- Gear up and ready content beforehand to cater to any current demands (trends, timely articles, etc)
# Work less, gain more: use content creation tools
To create SEO juice, putting the right content creation tool to use is the need of the hour. No matter if you plan to market your brand with texts, images, videos, infographics or anything else, you must try working with relevant free– as well as a paid–versions of content creation tools to make your content more effective and audience-friendly.
What I prefer for myself, is:
- For textual information, Grammarly
- For images, I refer pixlr and at times I have to go to Startbloggingonline to pick any of the listed tools to cater a specific need
- For video editing, I often refer the tools listed at hongkiat, but my all-time favorites are eyespot, Jumpcut, videoegg and YouTube Remixer
- For infographics, I prefer using Piktochart account – free version
For different needs, there are endless other content creation tools available online. All you need is to understand your requirements, do a little research about available tools, and pick the right tool that best serves your purpose.
# Stay updated: get influencers’ insights regularly
For strengthening your content strategy, I suggest you follow the digital marketing influencers and get crucial insights before they turn into stale news. A few popular influencers you can follow this year are,
- JEFF BULLAS: Jeff Bullas Internet Marketing Blog
- NEIL PATEL: Quicksprout Blog
- JOHN RAMPTON: John Rampton Blog
- RAND FISHKIN: The Moz Blog
- DANNY SULLIVAN: Search Engine Land, and so on
While you follow them, you not only ensure to catch the latest trends without a fail, but also save a substantial amount of time, which you would otherwise be wasting scanning for the same information over the internet.
# Go organic: reach out for user generated content
It is a known truth that the majority of customer testimonials we see on websites are distant from reality and truth. It is better to directly contact the customers and get their written feedback on the products or services you offer. It is a valuable piece of content, original, and sourced absolutely free. And don’t forget to publish this original content on your Social Media Networks. This is one example of leveraging user-generated content. You may discover or devise your own ways.
You always have the scope to score better for building and promoting your brand effectively with direct or indirect ways of content marketing. However, the experts suggest that you must focus on capturing the market using a marketing mix, nurturing the relationship with your existing customers, and then focus on gaining new customers within the industry you’re active in.
Author Bio
Anurag Gupta is a budding entrepreneur with stakes in WeblinkIndia.net an acclaimed Web Designing &
Development Company, headquartered in India. He also happens to be a keen writer, sharing insights,
tips, and tutorials on subjects related to the ever evolving landscape of Web Designing and
Development.