Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Advice On Marketing Content

By Carlyle Randel


It's not enough to just create content anymore. For anyone to really notice it, the content must be interactive, active, and be time-appropriate. Some great ideas on interactive content would be things like holding a contest for the customer to name a product or come up with a slogan, or surveys and polls work well. There is an added benefit to interactive content, in that the customer gives you some personal data during the process, and they freely give this data up which generates leads for you. For any company doing business online, people expect an engaging experience.

The need for interactivity online didn't really start with social media, but through social media's success, it became undeniably clear. People need to be involved and feel engaged on the internet, it's a crucial element. People will leave you invaluable information through a myriad of ways, including Twitter, Facebook, your company site, blogs, emails, the list goes on.

To really solidify a relationship, a real conversation is best. They naturally establish connections built on trust and respect as both parties share and relate interests, goals, perspectives and other relevant information. Customers can express what they would like to see from a company by completing surveys and polls, and that can give your company an advantage to know the trends and the mood of your clientele.

Studies have shown that collaborative content is a very productive method of getting sales leads. Sales can work with Engineering to make a blog, or Project Management can work with Quality Assurance to make a great video; these are examples of what can happen when departments work together efficiently. Everyone shares a piece of their expertise and the content gets better. As teams begin collaborating and sharing information, the environment evolves into a culture of learning. Not only are team members learning from one another, they are also researching and seeking input from other experts to make sure the content they create is accurate. Communication is so important to make this successful, the knowledge that is shared is invaluable, and the company can move forward in leaps and bounds if this is done right.

If the different departments don't get involved with the content marketing plans in a company, there is a big chance the campaign will fail. It's not an easy thing to accomplish. Any solid content marketing strategy involves several departments and that's where the troubles often start.

When looking to generate leads from content marketing, it's a good idea to have an idea of who your customer is, so try to make a list of buyer personas that you are catering to. The benefits of good buyer personas are more effective lead generation and customer retention. Well-designed offers and engaging content is highly beneficial, so take time in researching and having a solid understanding of who your customers are.

Buyer personas are about every area of marketing, from messaging plus targeting, segmentation, prioritizing marketing investments, and sales enablement. Do buyer personas right and your content marketing will be well served.




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