You already know the value of marketing, but do you know the value of content marketing?
It’s one of the most effective and cost-efficient marketing strategies you can take, but you need to have a solid plan in place to get maximum value.
Before you decide on your next marketing approach, review these fresh content marketing campaign ideas for 2020 and tips on how to implement them effectively.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is an approach to marketing that focuses on creating and sharing valuable information to drive new business. This approach is different from traditional tactics like direct mail and pay-per-click advertising.
Common forms of content marketing include:
- Blogs
- Case studies
- Checklists
- eBooks
- How-to guides
- Influencers
- Infographics
- Testimonials or reviews
- User-generated content
- Videos
- Whitepapers
You can use each of these individually or you can create comprehensive content marketing campaigns that utilize several types of content to reach a broader audience.
What is a content marketing campaign?
A content marketing campaign is a goal-oriented approach to creating content. You’ll put together content around a specific topic or product and share that on several platforms.
For example, you might create a landing page around a new product, then write a blog post about different ways to use your product. You’ll be able to share that post or landing page across various social media channels to boost its potential audience.
There are infinite approaches to how you create a content marketing campaign, but a few common examples of campaigns include:
- Blog series about industry news: this is a particularly great approach if you’re in the B2B space. You can take advantage of changes in the industry by creating a blog series around the updates. Try to find ways to relate your products or services to the industry changes.
- eBooks about relevant topics: marketers that have more expert advice to share than is appropriate for a blog will appreciate eBooks. With an eBook, you can dive deep into topics that your audience will value. Make it downloadable and require your readers to submit an email address for access.
- Video tutorials on new products: if you have a new product or service, a video tutorial is an excellent way to communicate critical information to your customers. You can highlight key features and show unique, out-of-the-box ways to use your product or service.
These are just a few ways you can create content marketing campaigns. One of the great things about content marketing is how flexible it is: You can create a completely custom campaign and share it across multiple platforms.
How can content marketing benefit your business?
At this point, you might be wondering if content marketing is worth the time and effort. Do you really want to spend time creating long-form content or crafting video marketing campaigns?
The short answer is yes.
Content marketing is an effective way to drive new business and boost your marketing ROI. If you still aren’t sure about creating content, check out these stats highlighting the importance of this marketing tool:
- Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing tactics and it generates about three times the number of leads.
- Content marketing drives 2.9% conversion rates, which are six times greater than the conversion rates of companies who don’t create content.
- Content marketing is preferred by 80% of business owners and executives who want to know more about a brand or product.
You can start with one type of content and explore more options from there. Blogs are a great place to start because it’s simple to host them on your own website, which is crucial to building an online brand.
4 Fresh content marketing campaign ideas for 2020
If you’re just starting to invest in content, it can be challenging to know where to start. Review these fresh content marketing campaign ideas for 2020, and you can put together a solid action plan.
1. Record compelling videos that propel your brand.
Your brand is your business, and content marketing is one avenue that allows you to expand on the things that make your brand unique. You can create videos on practically any topic, including product highlights, upcoming events, and even a message from the CEO. This email campaign from Filmsupply is a great example of using your brand’s aesthetic:
Source: Really Good Emails
Pro tip: you should host video content marketing campaigns on your website if possible. That’s the most effective way to drive traffic to your site. If that isn’t an option, you can host videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. You can also host them on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram.
2. Write eBooks that offer critical industry advice and information.
If you have extensive content on a specific topic, you might prefer an eBook. Long-form content on blogs generates nine times more leads than blogs that are “short-form,” and eBooks are one option for expanding on content in long-form and short-form blog posts. They also help establish your authority in the industry. Review this example from Flywheel:
Source: Really Good Emails
Pro tip: make your eBook a downloadable piece of content. This will allow you to share it with others on your website through either purchases or email subscriptions. Of course, you can write an eBook without trying to collect information, but you’ll be missing out on a prime opportunity for new leads.
3. Craft tutorials that drive traffic back to your site.
Driving traffic back to your website is the key goal for most marketing efforts. Tutorials are an effective way to build trust with your customers and get them back to your site. Host a tutorial on your website, then share it in email and social media campaigns for maximum impact. Get creative; tutorials are a great opportunity to generate video content for marketing campaigns.
Source: Really Good Emails
Pro tip: the most effective tutorials start with a plan. You want to write instructions that are clear and concise. That means you need to go step-by-step and include images or demos, if possible. If you’re a one-man team, run the tutorial by current customers or your network for feedback.
4. Generate how-to guides that spark your audience’s interest.
Similar to a tutorial, a how-to guide is content that provides value to your audience. Generally, a tutorial is something you’d write about your own products or services, where a how-to guide is something you can write on virtually any topic that’s relevant to your industry. How-to guides can give you opportunities to link back to other content on your site too. Check out this example from Crew:
Source: Really Good Emails
Pro tip: how-to guides should be part of your blog strategy or hosted on a page on your site. While you can certainly share them in emails, these are evergreen pieces of content that you want people to be able to access easily. Your website is the best place for them.
How to implement content marketing campaign ideas in 2020
With at least a dozen content options and numerous ways to share it, putting together fresh content marketing campaign ideas in 2020 can be tricky. Sometimes it can seem like everything’s been done once, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create unique content that drives traffic.
Before you craft your next content marketing campaign, follow these three tips for implementing campaigns that are cost-efficient and highly effective:
- Ask your customers for feedback: Your current customers are a great source of feedback. You can create a survey to see what type of content they find most valuable. This is also a great time to ask them what topics they’d like you to cover.
- Analyze your marketing trends: Your recent marketing campaigns are another opportunity to see what type of content you should create. Review which landing pages and blogs have the most interaction and highest conversion rates.
- Check out your competitors’ content: Your competitors might already be using content to attract new customers. Read through their webpages and blogs to see what type of content they’re creating and how they’re sharing it with their customers.
Your content marketing plan is critical to success, so spend extra time crafting it. If you already have one, consider updating it to reflect these new trends.
Wrap up
You want to create content marketing campaigns that drive new growth and build your brand. With the right approach, you can put together a marketing plan that utilizes the most effective types of content. Remember these key takeaways before you launch your next campaign:
- The best type of content for your business will vary depending on your industry and audience.
- You should host content on your website when possible to grow your site presence.
- Content marketing needs to provide value to your current and potential customers.
Creating content marketing campaigns takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth it to generate new leads and improve your ROI.
Looking for a platform that’ll help you manage your content marketing campaigns? Campaign Monitor has the tools you need to create and share the most valuable insight.