When most people think of 'Content Marketing,' they think of the basics: blogs, social media infographics, and email newsletters. But the truth of the matter is that there are actually a LOT of ways you can up your content marketing game. And as I went into in a previous post, there are a lot of reasons why you should!
Below I map out a number of options for reaching your customer base with content marketing. Not everyone is good at everything, and you definitely shouldn't try to be. But you also shouldn't only do what everyone else is doing. Find the mode and medium that's right for you and your business and you're sure to shine!
Blogs
Obviously we all know about blogs, as they're hardly new. But I'm sure sitting down and writing one regularly either sounds intimidating or tedious to a large portion of people. The things that make blogs successful are the same things that make them easier to write:
Keep them authentic and ensure they're actually useful by writing about what you know.
Bonus points if you can throw in a bit of humor as well.
Instructional Videos
Under the category of things we may not think about as often are instructional videos. Obviously these won't be for everyone, but don't dismiss the idea too soon. Instructional videos aren't just for YouTube makeup stars. If you offer any type or product or service to your customers, chances are you can connect with them through a video. Think of it as Vlog (video blog) and keep it authentic and useful to your base.
Infographics
I won't lie to you, I LOVE a good infographic, especially on social media. Taking a topic and sharing pertinent, useful information about it in an easily digestible way is an amazing way to get attention for potential clients AND hold it.
If you're new to infographics, definitely check out Canva. They offer some super helpful templates to get you started.
Host a Webinar/Workshop
Obviously these days just about everything is remote, so more emphasis on the 'webinar' idea here. But offering people classes where they can learn more about something you know a lot about and are generous enough to give them? Well that sounds like an outstanding way to drum up some brand loyalty!
Podcast
2020 is the year of the podcast. They are popping up everywhere, as many people are looking for things to listen to at home. I'll admit this one seems a bit intimidating to ME. But if you feel braver talking without a camera on you and think you have some great content to share, it can be an amazing option.
FAQ's
Who doesn't love an awesome FAQ list?? No? Just me? Well, I'm a huge fan. Do you find that your customers or clients tend to have a lot of the same questions, especially if you offer a service? FAQs can be an amazing way to offer them a solution to a problem they may not have even identified yet. And when you do that? Well, they tend to like you.
Give Your Customers a Voice
Most of the social media platforms these days provide a variety of ways for businesses to interact directly with their customer base, whether through surveys, reactions, testimonials, customer spotlights... so many things. Bring a human connection to your business by allowing your customers to have a voice.
Seasonal Content
Have you noticed the 23048973476 gift guides that have come out in the last week? If you haven't, you live under a rock. Holiday gift guides are a great example of seasonal content. Highlight summer sales. Talk about how your business can help with the holidays. Tell your base where they can find amazing Christmas presents.... by next year you too will master the holiday gift guide.
Email Newsletter
I have a hard time selling my marketing clients on regular email newsletters. In the age of email, the assumption seems to be that they don't bring enough value and probably aren't read. I tend to disagree. You may not get a 100% open and read through rate on every email newsletter you send out, and each newsletter might not be overflowing with amazing content. But they are an excellent way to stay top of mind with your customers, and provide a great way to capture leads with subscriptions.
In-Person Events
In the long, long ago, when we were all allowed to congregate in large crowds, hold hands and skip off into the sunset in large groups... hosting in-person events was a great way to reach customers. Pop-up shops, question and answer sessions, community events. These are all great ideas and I have nothing but confidence that we'll get back there some day. For now, maybe keep these on the backburner.
As I said, not all of these work for everyone and every business, and you absolutely shouldn't try to master them all. However, finding the right mix for your business can really create amazing results. And maybe you've already waded into a couple of these things pretty deeply and it's just time to expand and add something new. Either way, stay open minded and you're sure to see success!
If you want help with any of these things, I'm only an email/call/text away!
