The Complete Guide To Content Marketing 2023
Content marketing is a strategic approach to creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
In simpler terms, this is what you need to do to get people to know about your brand and the industry you operate in, as a whole.
“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.” - Joe Chernov
This approach to marketing makes the consumer feel smart by providing them with value and information to make smart decisions themselves. This is also a good way to stay on top of their minds through thorough branding and content delivery so that when they do need a particular product or service, they think of your brand.
In this guide, we'll explore the different types of content marketing, look at some examples of how leading companies are doing it, and explain how to create a successful content marketing strategy, to begin with.
Types of Content Marketing
Given the nature of content marketing, which primarily aims at providing value across various different channels wherever the end consumer is, it can be delivered through many different ways.
Listing here are the Top 5 types of content marketing for 2023.
Blogging
This is the most common form of content marketing, where businesses create blog posts that provide valuable information to their target audience. The best way to go about blogging is to create a set of content pillars and subtopics to give readers and consumers a 360 degree understanding and provide maximum value through your content.
Video Marketing
This type of content marketing involves creating videos that can be used to showcase products or services, provide educational content, or entertain your audience. Try Instagram reels, Youtube videos and shorts and Tik Toks. LinkedIn and Twitter too are not encouraging video content on their platforms. Streaming interviews and webinars are also a great way to go about it.
Infographics
Infographics are a visual representation of information that can be used to simplify complex ideas and data. They can be used to provide educational content or support blog posts. Provide maximum value through just a graphical representation. You can never go wrong with infographics. If you are providing data through them, always make sure you are adding relevant sources at the bottom of the infographic.
Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms are a great way to distribute content and engage with your audience. Social media content can include blog posts, images, videos, and infographics. Find out where your end consumers are and be sure you are present on those channels. You don't need to be in all the places at once. Beware of spreading yourself to think and social media burnout cause that's a real thing.
Podcasting
Podcasts are a popular way to provide educational and entertaining content to your target audience. They can be used to interview industry experts or share your own insights and experiences.
Let's look at how some of the leading brands in consumer goods, tech, and finance are using content marketing.
Red Bull
The energy drink company has a content marketing strategy that focuses on extreme sports and high-risk activities. They create videos, blog posts, and social media content that showcases these activities, and it's worked well to build a loyal following.
HubSpot
HubSpot has a comprehensive content marketing strategy that includes blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, and social media content. They provide valuable educational content to their target audience, and their blog has become a go-to resource for marketers and business owners.
American Express
American Express has a content marketing strategy that focuses on small business owners. They create blog posts, videos, and infographics that provide valuable information and resources for entrepreneurs.
What is a Content Marketing Strategy?
A content marketing strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a business will create, publish, and distribute content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. It includes goals, target audience, content types, distribution channels, and metrics for measuring success.
To create a successful content marketing strategy, businesses should:
Define their goals and target audience.
Determine the types of content that will resonate with their target audience.
Develop a content creation plan and editorial calendar.
Determine the distribution channels that will be used to distribute content.
Create a system for measuring the success of their content marketing efforts.
Let's dig a bit deeper into the how of it, shall we?
Define Goals and Target Audience
Defining goals and target audience is the first step in creating a successful content marketing strategy. Goals should be specific, measurable, and aligned with the overall business objectives. For example, goals could include increasing website traffic, generating more leads, or improving brand awareness. Once goals are defined, it's important to determine the target audience. Businesses should have a clear understanding of who their ideal customer is, their needs, and how they consume content. This information will help guide the types of content that are created and the distribution channels that are used.
Determine Types of Content
Once goals and target audience are defined, the next step is to determine the types of content that will resonate with the target audience. This could include blog posts, videos, infographics, social media posts, whitepapers, case studies, and more. It's important to consider the buyer's journey when creating content, and ensure that content is aligned with the needs and interests of the target audience at each stage of the journey.
Develop a Content Creation Plan and Editorial Calendar
To create consistent and high-quality content, businesses should develop a content creation plan and editorial calendar. This should include details such as the types of content that will be created, who will create the content, the topics that will be covered, and when the content will be published. An editorial calendar can help ensure that content is published on a consistent basis and that it's aligned with the needs and interests of the target audience.
Determine Distribution Channels
Determining the distribution channels that will be used to distribute content is a critical part of a content marketing strategy. Distribution channels could include social media platforms, email marketing, guest blogging, influencer marketing, and more. It's important to select the channels that will best reach the target audience and align with the types of content that are being created.
Create a System for Measuring Success
Finally, it's important to create a system for measuring the success of a content marketing strategy. This could include metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, lead generation, and more. By tracking metrics, businesses can determine what's working and what's not, and make adjustments to their content marketing strategy accordingly. It's important to set benchmarks and goals for each metric and to regularly review and analyze the data to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Now that we have discussed what is content marketing and the how to of it, let's quickly glance over what are the don'ts that you should strictly steer clear of.
The 10 don'ts of content marketing that you should steer clear of
Don't create content just for the sake of creating content. Ensure that each piece of content provides value to the target audience and is aligned with the overall content marketing strategy.
Don't use clickbait headlines or misleading titles to attract attention. This can lead to a high bounce rate and a negative impact on brand reputation.
Don't overlook the importance of SEO. While creating valuable content is important, it's also critical to optimize content for search engines to ensure that it's discoverable by the target audience.
Don't ignore the power of visuals. Visual content such as images, videos, and infographics can help break up text and make content more engaging and shareable.
Don't neglect distribution channels. Creating great content is only half the battle; it's also important to distribute it effectively to reach the target audience.
Don't ignore the need for a content calendar. Consistency is key when it comes to content marketing, and having a content calendar can help ensure that content is published on a regular basis.
Don't forget to track metrics and analyze data. It's important to regularly review and analyze data to identify trends and areas for improvement. This can help refine the content marketing strategy and improve ROI.
Don't ignore the importance of storytelling. Storytelling is a powerful tool in content marketing, as it helps create an emotional connection with the target audience and can increase engagement and loyalty.
Don't neglect the need for a mobile-first approach. With the rise of mobile devices, it's important to ensure that content is optimized for mobile and can be easily consumed on a variety of devices.
Don't underestimate the value of customer feedback. Listening to customer feedback can help identify areas for improvement and guide the content marketing strategy to better meet the needs and interests of the target audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, content marketing is an essential component of any successful marketing strategy. By creating valuable content that resonates with their target audience, businesses can attract and retain customers and build their brand. To create a successful content marketing strategy, businesses should define their goals, target audience, and content types, and develop a plan for creating and distributing content. By doing so, they can increase their online presence and drive profitable customer action.