If you’re a marketer, you’re probably sick of hearing the adage that “Content Is King.” But how does this notion apply to the digital age, when brands are publishers and content is so ubiquitous and multifarious that an ad, email, podcast, billboard, TikTok account, and blog are all nestled under the same umbrella? Is content still the most important part of your marketing strategy?
Here, we’ll take you on a high-level (read: not boring) overview of how you can build brand loyalists with effective content — and how to get started with nothing but your phone.
What is content marketing, anyway? Content Marketing Institute (CMI) defines it this way:
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
Content, then, is like real estate on your site and/or social channels that draws organic traffic on its own but can also be dissected, upcycled, and shared through pretty much every other marketing channel you’re working with.
If you’re just getting started creating your own content — or troubleshooting an existing approach that isn’t really driving results — keep these four principles in mind. (Like, write them down on sticky notes and stare at them every day, if you have to.)
If you’re a startup waiting for your seed round or working with a tiny budget, there are plenty of ways to be scrappy with your content production. Here are some examples that don’t require a fortune:
Down the line, when you can hire a content manager and copywriter — or work with a team of freelancers who are experts in your vertical/niche — you can explore more editorial forms of content that leverage long-tail SEO keywords to build evergreen content that educates consumers at every point of the funnel. Here are some other forms of content that can drive significant organic traffic to your site, over time (and, if you’re creative, may not eat a hole in your wallet):
Content marketing is versatile — and very giving — in that you can transform pretty much any piece of content into more content.
Let’s say you’re a plant-based skincare brand and write an 800-word article called: “9 Natural Ingredients That Can Soften Your Skin.” You list nine ingredients with science to support their efficacy, then mention, at the end, that your face serum contains all nine, with a CTA to learn more or buy the product. Now you can:
Other general ways to repurpose your content:
Content may sound expensive — and it can be, with ecom and B2B behemoths investing a considerable amount of $$$ into their content marketing game (we’re looking at you, Goop and HubSpot). But the truth is that money, in today’s democratized age of digital advertising, isn’t the barrier to entry it once was.
In fact, all you need to create killer content is the supercomputer in your pocket. (Plus a bit of out-of-the-box thinking and confidence.) Start by jotting down some ideas for your next campaign, then open up your phone camera and start taking pics or filming clips. With some free editing tools, a little ingenuity, and some smart, snappy copy, you can create effective content that helps your brand gain traffic and drive conversions until you have the funding or revenue to bring on additional helping hands. Remember — you don’t need a Pulitzer or unparalleled Photoshop skills to create effective content. Simple, clean, and direct language and visuals still have a great chance of connecting with your target audience and showing them the value of your brand.
Need help scaling your content marketing efforts? Hit us up to see how we’ve put our skills to the test with dozens of successful brands.