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As you concentrate on building your business, you’ll want to think about including a solid content strategy in your plans. This refers to something separate from social media advertising or Google ads you choose to run.
Sure, you could spend a ton of your budget on digital advertising. But there’s a highly affordable way to sell more of your products and services.
Content marketing is a free way to share valuable information that deserves a longer shelf life. (That means how long your content is likely to last as a darling of the search engines.)
If you post something on Instagram, for example, that content is only good for a few days, maybe a week at most. But if you have strong digital content on your website, it could have the capability of being brought to the attention of prospective customers for several years.
Your need for a content strategy is crucial for more than just your online presence, however. Admittedly, developing content that is rich, but not too rich, in keywords can help with your search engine optimization, but there are many other reasons quality content is critical.
Take a closer look at some of the reasons it’s worthwhile to be strategic about your digital content.
It Exhibits Expertise
Any person who does a search online needs something. Web searchers want to improve their life, develop a new skill, or find answers to a question about a problem.
Through strategic content planning, you’ll be doing more than just pushing products into people’s newsfeeds and faces. You’re setting yourself up as an expert in your field.
If you’re not sure what you should be writing about, think about your ideal customer. Understanding your audience’s needs is the first place to start.
Are people uncertain how to change the windshield wipers on their Volkswagen Tiguan? Is your audience looking for an online community to help them expand their small business?
Ask yourself these questions before you make the mistake of uploading unnecessary and irrelevant content. Figure out what it is your prospective clients need and how you can become a leader with regard to knowledge in the industry.
It Builds Trust
Online advertising still has a place in your digital marketing plan. But you are less likely to make a sale through advertising than through an organic content strategy. New customers are more willing to trust you and your business model if they find content on your website that supports what you sell.
Say you are a yoga instructor who recently found yourself trying to find new ways to enlarge your business since the advent of the global pandemic. You have to get innovative about the ways you offer classes.
This might include live-streaming your sessions or providing pre-recorded flows. If an individual comes across your website, he or she is more inclined to buy in if there’s valuable, educational, and most important, free content to be found on your blog.
This, in turn, is more likely to turn chance visitors into repeat customers. They’ll trust you for providing quality information that’s relevant to their needs. You’ll retain clients who will be more inclined to make a purchase in the future.
It Creates Community
It’s one thing simply to post on your blog. But if you aren’t sharing that information to any relevant social media platform, it might remain stagnant.
Social media has transformed from being more than just an app for simply sharing photos from your child’s graduation. It’s become a place where people search for community.
Select a platform that suits your business needs and where your target audience is most likely to hang out. Focus solely on building a community within that platform to share your content. This will help you to build your email list (another great place to spread your content) and lead to more sales.
The most important thing to remember when you develop content strategy is to focus on what your client needs in the immediate future. It’s not about oversaturating people’s already hectic lives with links to buy your products or sign up for your online class.
What they need is an expert, a guide to show them the way.
If you’re still feeling stumped, don’t worry. This can be a hefty task for one person to take on, especially if you lack the previous, necessary knowledge and skills to make it all happen.
We highly recommend looking into outsourcing the mission to a company that can help, such as the digital marketing firm Relevance. Their team specializes in strategic content planning for businesses in various industries.
