“Content marketing.”
Did reading those two little words make you grumble and roll your eyes? Did you dramatically throw a bunch of papers in the air, yell “OVER IT” and storm out of the room? No? Oh. Guess we’ve been working from home alone too long…
Anywho. Back to content marketing. Don’t roll your eyes at us.
Good content marketing, content writing, or simply content (which is what we’ll refer to it from here on out), is good for your business. But it’s easy to forget what content actually is.
We hear it all the time: a blog post here, a blog post there, and you’ve got your content game down pat. After all, no one really reads or follows blogs anymore, so you don’t have to do much more than that, right?
Wrong.
Content is about so much more than just blog writing. We’re gonna repeat that again for the people in the back: content is about so much more than just blog writing. And for what it’s worth, people still read and follow blogs. In fact, there are bloggers out there who build each other up, form supportive communities, and boost each others’ page rankings. #hellowebtraffic
And there are blogs for every niche and hobby, from food to fashion to books to personal finance, meaning that you can easily find “your people” by running your own blog. But more on that later.
So, what is “content” if it’s not just blogs?
Again, content goes far beyond writing blogs. “Content” encompasses everything you send out into the world.
That includes:
- Social media posts (yes, that includes memes and TikTok videos, welcome to the 21st century)
- Testimonials and case studies
- Ads on Google or Facebook
- Emails to your customers or other businesses
- Articles
- Images and infographics
- Partnerships with other companies or influencers
- Press releases, outreach, or pitches
- Whitepapers, tutorials, e-books, and other long-form content
- Videos
- Podcasts
- …And blogs
Content is every single piece of information you create for other people to consume and enjoy. So, while publishing a blog post when you feel like it is “technically” content marketing, that doesn’t mean it’s a good content marketing strategy.
You can do better. And you should.
What good content can do for your biz
Times have changed. Just 20 years ago (f***, we’re old), businesses relied heavily on printed ads in magazines and newspapers. Billboards. TV commercials. Cold calls. Junk mail. Remember those marketing techniques? They’ve been taken over by something less intrusive and admittedly, way less annoying: content marketing.
When you create good content that is relevant, consistent, and valuable to your audience, you’re ultimately nudging them to take action for your benefit. Without it, you’re just shouting “BUY OUR STUFF NOW, IT’S GREAT.”
When you market your products or services without a content strategy, you might as well be this chick:
Meanwhile, picture your business being much wiser and cooler.
You allow your customers to browse your products, read glowing testimonials, and check out articles and blog posts about the business itself. We’ll let you decide which tactic your clients and customers would prefer…
TL;DR: Companies who try too hard to sell you stuff are a turnoff. A strategy that focuses on the business-consumer relationship will ultimately work better in your favor. Good content builds trust and loyalty with your customers. You’re in it for the long game, but it’s worth it.
But, like, WTF should you write about?
You’ll hear us talk a lot about what kinds of content work for your brand and how to have a distinct brand voice (on the blog, because #practicewhatyoupreach).
But if you can’t wait for those blog posts, we can answer your questions about content, help you build a content strategy for your biz, and much more. Just schedule a good ol’ fashioned phone call with Latasha to talk about your needs.
