Orange Slices

“Content marketing” has been getting a lot of buzz lately. Though content marketing has been around for almost as long as marketing itself, it’s become a valuable tool to break through the digital and media clutter that bombards your customers and prospects everyday.

Content that engages prospective customers is content they’ll tune in to, even while they get better at tuning out media and messages that are irrelevant to them. That’s why Best Buy has announced plans to build a journalistic platform of technology articles and reviews into its website. That’s why American Express has built a website full of articles and helpful content for entrepreneurs and small businesses. That’s why buyers may turn to Amazon for product review and comparison information — even if they don’t intend to buy from Amazon.

Why does this work? Simple: People engage with content when it’s interesting, entertaining or useful to them. That’s why Best Buy’s gadget reviews and American Express’ small business articles work. Those companies’ target audiences need and want that content, and so will spend some time engaging with those brands to get it.

RLF’s award-winning Debt Diva campaign was not just a social media and media relations effort. Both the social media and traditional media relations elements were fueled by content RLF created for the Debt Diva — budgeting tips, downloadable personal finance guides and how-to videos, among others.

I’ll make a bold prediction here: Content will become the most important marketing and public relations tool for the vast majority of companies within the next few years. As the media cacophony grows louder and people grow more skilled at tuning it out, the companies that win will be the companies that can earn attention from customers.

Here’s a few things to think about for your company when it comes to content:

1. What are your competitors doing? If they’re engaging in some form of content marketing and you’re not, you’ve got some catching up to do. If they’re not, it’s a huge opportunity for you to be the first and potentially become the go-to content source (and a thought leader) in your industry.

2. What do your customers and prospects want and need to know that aligns with your brand? It may be content that’s directly related to your business, for example a bank publishing business or personal financial tips. Or it may be content that creates a positive impression for your brand in a way that engages your audience; Pepsi’s Refresh Project is a great example of this. If you don’t know what your customers and prospects want and need, then you probably need to do more research. (We can help.)

3. How will you distribute your content? Build it and they will come is simply not enough to stand out. One of the most efficient ways to build awareness of your content and draw people to it is through social media. It is not the only way, however. Email, direct mail, custom publications, event marketing and advertising can all play a role.

4. What’s your conversion path? Finally, once you’ve got prospects engaged with your content, you need a clear conversion path to turn readers and browsers into leads and customers. This may take the form of an escalating series of engagement steps — “likes” and “follows” on social media, lead collection via an opt-in email list, and then qualification of the lead via a sales call or other methods. Content can also help build brand awareness at the top of the marketing funnel, but the best content marketing plans will have a clear path to a measurable return on investment.

Are you engaging in content marketing yet? Let us know in the comments below or get in touch if you’d like to discuss your situation in more detail.