Content marketing is one of those buzzwords that you get tired of hearing, yet would be foolish to ignore. In two words (actually), it clearly identifies your main asset and how to maximize its potential. If you want to be successful with your content, be it a specific product or service, collection of images or video, you have to be serious about marketing it.
Content marketing tactics come in all forms, shapes, and sizes. Here are five tools you can’t go wrong with:
1. Email Marketing
Do people still even read email? You bet your bottom dollar they do. People are using email to consume all sorts of content, including newsletters, blog updates, and video. Email marketing is an effective way to stay in touch, build relationships, and generate more sales, but there are some best practices to keep in mind, like
– Building an opt-in list
– Making opting out easy
– Segment and targeting your list
– Sending at a consistent frequency
– Staying relevant
Email is a powerful vehicle that can drive whatever content you’re trying to move. I recommend talking to a legit service provider to learn more about taking advantage.
2. Feedback
One of the most underrated content marketing tools is the feedback that comes from customers, fans, and supporters. Whether it’s reviews or recommendations, this feedback is valuable because it is often viewed as a testimonial or endorsement from the people your audience trust the most. As crazy as it may sound, their word often holds more weight than your own when it comes to influencing others.
There is a lot of power in feedback, but as with content in general, it’s all about how you use it. If you’ve got reviews for your products or services, pull out of some of the best ones and use them to make an impact on prospects. Play around with different areas of your website, blog, or email campaign to see where they might be most effective. A little testing always goes a long way.
3. Social Media
Like content marketing itself, social media is something you may be tired of hearing about, but if you know what’s good for ya, can’t afford to ignore. The social web thrives on content, and gives you plenty of ways to generate it yourself. You’ve got your beautiful images pinned on Pinterest, your videos upload to YouTube, and your brief updates streaming through Twitter. Better yet, you and your audience have a plethora convenient ways to share that content.
Social media is great for creating and sharing content, but there’s plenty to go around. You have to stand with valuable material people want to share. While it sounds easy, this is where many are failing.
4. Infographics
Infographics are part of the visual content revolution that is currently sweeping the web. Offering a visually compelling way to share information, they make consumption much easier in a world where people are more likely to scan over something than they are to read it full. They also make nice sharebait, and when optimized, offer a little SEO value as well.
Design is key with infographics, so here are some pointers:
– Focus on specific objectives
– Choose a relevant topic
– Get your facts straight
– Let your data tell a story
– Make it attractive, but keep it simple
5. Apps
In the digital world, people are digesting content in a plethora of new ways. Interacting with apps is one of them. Apps allow you to take a unique and exciting approach to marketing, while putting your content right in the palm of the consumer’s hand. Whether it’s a free tool designed to help increase recognition or something design to drive direct sales, and app can work wonders for your brand.
Just like with infographics, the development stage is crucial with apps, so here are some tips to keep in mind:
– Aim to meet specific objective
– Target the right audience
– Create a plan for marketing
– Design to take advantage of underlying hardware
– Keep it simple
Conclusion
The influx of devices, new technology, and services has made content marketing more complex than ever Thankfully, there are more tools available to get the job done. From email to mobile apps, the tools you need to get ahead are conveniently accessible no matter the size of your budget. It’s up to you to put them to good use.
What tools are in your content marketing toolbox?
Francis Santos is a writer for Benchmark Events, a best practices event marketing company.
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