Content marketing can be a successful marketing tool for many businesses. It can be used to improve SEO, educate prospects, and guide consumers through the buying process. Any business — regardless of industry — can utilize content marketing to make their business more approachable and relatable to consumers. It is a cost-effective strategy that engages consumers who are used to resesarching and educating themselves before committing to a purchase. Best of all, it can develop a connection with your audience as they begin to rely on you as a primary source of information. 

Here are a few ways your business can leverage content marketing to reach your business goals:

Know your audience. One thing we know is that consumers are savvy researchers. They know their way around the internet and how to find content that fits their needs and answers their questions. The first step to effectively leveraging content marketing for your business is to understand your audience. Knowing their specific demographic, challenges, and tendencies will help guide you in the creation process. The more familiar you become with your audience, the better you can connect with them through content marketing.

Try out different formats. Content can exist in a variety of formats these days — blog posts, white papers, videos, infographics, apps, ebooks, podcasts, and more. Once you've identified your audience, you can better pinpoint which format they're most likely to use. If there's overlap, you can try recycling your content into different formats to appeal to a wider range of consumers. 

Determine  your distribution channels. Knowing where and how you'll be distributing your content will help you cater your content to fit the platform. This is an important step to know before starting the creation process as it will most likely affect what type, length and style of content you create. 

Find a way to offer value. What's something your audience is really looking for? What challenges do they struggle with? What questions do they most often ask? Using these questions to guide your content strategy will help you offer the most value to your customers. For example, if you're constantly answering the same question about a product, a how-to video could be a helpful way to answer those questions. If you're a new business that's trying to establish trust and brand recognition, a customer testimonial could help showcase what your business has to offer. Knowing the purpose behind your content before you create it will ensure that you're offering your audience impactful information.

Content marketing is a viable marketing strategy that can produce increased traffic, higher conversions, and better relationships. Like most things in life, however, the challenge lies in the doing. If you've been hesitant to dedicate time and resources to content marketing, Addison Clark can help!