Gone are the days when a blog a week was sufficient to promote your brand. In a highly competitive digital space, an omni-channel approach is the best way to fend off competitors and improve outreach. Choreographing content that appeals to audiences across multiple platforms is no easy task, so here are 20 content marketing takeaways to kick-start your 2019.
- Know your audience
In order to run a successful campaign, you must know who you’re talking to. You wouldn’t speak to your Grandma in the same way as your best friend, so doing research is essential. Find out where consumers interested in your brand hang out online. This will allow you to target the right platforms and avoid wasting both time and money.
- Get to grips with the lingo
The lingo these days can be confusing, but you’ve simply got to learn it in order to facilitate consumer research. Are you targeting Generation X, for example? These people are born anywhere between 1970 and the early 80s. They tend to lack the luxury of time and are driven by purpose and intent rather than casual browsing. In other words, they’re looking for short, sharp content with a specific CTA.
Perhaps you’re hoping to excite Millennials? Otherwise known as the Net Generation, these guys reached adulthood at around the turn of the 21st century and are typically well-educated, impatient, tech-savvy and not easily pleased. They’re also fully aware of your competitors.
- Keep updated with rules and regulations
If you work in a heavily governed industry like finance, staying on top of the various rules issued by regulatory bodies such as CySEC is a must. 2018 alone was a complete rollercoaster what with MiFID II updates, GDPR and social media ad bans. The year ahead may through some curveballs too, making research and compliant content a top priority.
Watch out for our monthly Regulation Roundup.
- Know the stats
Think content marketing is a waste of time or something you can do as an after-thought? Well, you might want to rethink your strategy based on the below statistics:
- Conversion rates are 6X higher for brands that use content marketing techniques than those who don’t.
- 70% of internet users want to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertisements.
- 84% of people expect brands to provide content that entertains, tells stories, provides solutions and creates experiences and events.
- Get the basics right
According to a report by CMI, only 39% of B2B marketers have a documented content strategy. This is extremely low considering a strategy allows you to plan and monitor business progress. Going back to the drawing board and coming up with content marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) you can keep track of is a great place to start.
- Embrace content choreography
Content choreography is set to be huge throughout 2019. Like a good ballet, all elements of a content strategy need to come together perfectly in order to create a masterpiece. From blogs and articles to infographics, videos and social media posts you need to think carefully about who you’re reaching out to and on which channels.
- Explore snackable content
The average human has an attention span of 8 seconds. That’s less than a goldfish. So, exploring snackable content is a great idea. Snippets of information driven by facts, infographics people can dip in and out of and short, sharp content broken down into readable segments will all help increase engagement.
- Get video savvy
Video content will account for 80% of all online traffic by 2020. That’s an incredible statistic and one which makes jumping on the video production bandwagon worthwhile. Videos have the power to inform, educate and entertain. Creating a videos series with each clip being approximately 10 seconds will also help you meet the demands of ‘snackable content’ while fuelling a social strategy.
- Embrace mobile search
In 2018, 52.2% of all worldwide online traffic was generated through mobile phones, up from 50.3% in the previous year. This shows the importance of having a web-optimised site. Failing to keep up with trends could put you at risk of being overtaken by competitors.
- Don’t underestimate voice search
Voice searches are expected to account for 50% of all online queries by 2020? Millennials are expected to constitute almost 40% of people using voice-enabled digital assistants in 2019. When it comes to content marketing, voice search is therefore going to change your strategy significantly.
- Remember those keywords
When a search is made online, search engines get all technical and start looking for the most relevant pages. If your site includes the right keywords, it’s more likely to appear in search listings. Keywords in articles linking back to crucial landing pages also drive traffic.
- Keep it fresh
Not so long ago, Google updated its fresh content algorithm. Regular updates show that your page is fresh and still relevant to the subject in question. If you don’t do this, your website may be considered redundant making it hard to rank in a search query.
- Don’t be overly promotional
Millennials greatly distrust flashy banner ads and in-your-face content. Thankfully, it’s perfectly possible to communicate your message without being OTT salesy. Writing blogs that are genuinely useful to the reader, for instance, is one way to spread brand awareness without being irritating.
- Take consumers on a journey
Brands are becoming increasingly competitive. Stand out by creating an experience and taking consumers on a journey. Think AI and VR. Or, if your budget doesn’t permit the use of advance tech, think about humanising your brand and developing a connection with consumers. A great way to do this is by featuring key members of your company on video or going behind-the-scenes on social.
- Be authentic
Consumers can see straight through generic and hollow marketing messages. For this reason, authentic content is a must. User generated content including reviews and testimonials are a great way to showcase your brand from a different perspective.
- Manage your social channels with care
Being present on social channels favoured by your consumers is wise. That said, manage all platforms with care. The slightest error can lead to a PR disaster as seen by multiple brands this year including the US Air Force. Here’s how not to handle bad PR along with some useful tips.
- Explore different social channels
Have you looked into channels such as Telegraph or Medium? These are great for the finance sector allowing you to talk specifically about areas of interest related to the industry. Medium articles, for example, are divided into categories making topics easy to find.
- Improve your LinkedIn presence
Content is at the heart of everything you do. Those interested in you brand are likely to research team members on sites like LinkedIn and therefore this is the perfect place to establish yourself as a thought-leader. If you’re running an ICO, consistent information on LinkedIn will also add to the credibility of your campaign and reassure investors in the process.
- Explore influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is more than connecting with popular celebs. There are many niche micro and nano-influencers these days with much higher engagement levels that you can collaborate with. Influencer marketing can help extend your outreach and makes your presence as a brand known among key players within your sector.
- Avoid making spelling and grammatical errors
Last but not least, avoid making errors by having a strict editorial process in place. A simple spelling or grammatical slip-up can impact your brand’s reputation, so don’t cut corners.
If you need help with any aspect of content marketing in 2018, contact me today! My content marketing agency Contentworks have the solutions to take you to the top in 2019.