FAQ: What is Content Marketing?

Contact marketing has been discussed a lot this past year among businesses as a great way to establish their brand online, and it’s arguably going to be even more important for 2016. We get comments from small business owners saying they often hear the phrase, but are not familiar with what it entails. For those who may be getting started in the online marketing realm, understanding what content marketing can be confusing at first.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is the marketing strategy of capturing attention and traffic online by producing and distributing useful content. This content typically takes the format of blog posts, white papers, videos, or intriguing images and infographics. Content marketing can be different from viral marketing, which focuses more on making content explode in popularity via social media over a short period of time. Instead, content marketing is about creating information people want to read, learn, watch or interact with, then using it as a prompt to make a purchase, contact you, or perform a desired action.

Different types of content

There are several different kinds of content that you can use to promote your products or services. When creating content, remember that the reader will only stay on websites that they can get something out of. Usually, that "something" is pertinent information to this issue they are researching. The best marketers will incorporate several different mediums of content in order to attract a wider variety of visitors or get their point across. Experiment with making frequent blog posts and filling them with valuable information. Add unique images, FAQ’s, videos or tutorials to help your content stand out from the competition.

Why is content marketing important?

Content marketing has two different facets in terms of value. First, it has the ability to reach potential customers who are not necessarily yet at a buying stage, or may not even necessarily know of your particular service or product. Content marketing serves as a way to draw the customer in with free, relevant information, known as content, which possesses an intrinsic value in and of itself.

The second value is for your existing customers. Small businesses can use content marketing to continue to drive value to their existing customers. Providing your customers with useful and relevant content can increase their perceived value in your business relationship. This can even lead to additional sales if used via cross promoting additive services or specified actions.

Next Steps

To learn more about content marketing and how it can help you establish your small business online, please contact us and mention this blog post for a free consult. You will be surprised by how easy it can be to get started! You may also want to check out our blog on 6 Content Marketing Tips for Busy Small Business Owners.