When people hear the words ‘digital marketing’, they usually think of Google Ads (formerly AdWords), email marketing tools, website coding, YouTube, and Social Media, to name a few. Indeed, you would not be wrong to immediately look at these digital marketing components when trying to gain online exposure.
However, these are a collective set of tools that afford you a platform to display the most important aspect of your online marketing plan – content!
Content does not just mean articles. There are several factors involved in creating attractive content for marketing purposes.
- Images Design/Infographics
- Video/Audio
- Written Content
By clarifying exactly what content is, we can dissect why your content strategy is the most important cog in all digital marketing campaigns.
The Words Your Customer Reads Will Determine Their Next Action
Think about it like this. When looking for the latest smartphone online or designer t-shirts for your upcoming holiday.
Which of the next two phrases will stand out?
- Sign Up Now for A 20% Discount on Your First Order
- Want to Make an Order? – Sign Up Now!
Now, on the one hand, you will get a 20% discount for signing up. On the other hand, you simply sign up to place an order. That shows how powerful the words you use in your content can be – in essence, these are words or persuasion.
Images, Videos, and Demos Can Speak a Thousand Words
It is no accident that images, videos, and demos connect your target audience with your brand and content.
Product Demos
Demos are arguably the most powerful tool because your customers get to interact with your product. This is seen commonly in the online gambling industry, where free versions of games are made available post-purchase. Also, the use of these games, such as JDB demo slots from the company Just Do The Best in the casino industry, is a powerful tool to give players a glimpse of the slot before they play it.
Video
Like demos, videos give potential clientele a glimpse at the product or service. The disadvantage to a demo is that it is not as interactive as testing a product demo like a game, slot, or, in the world of marketing, a free demo trial of certain products like the Hootsuite social media marketing tool.
Infographics
Infographics are a powerful image for companies selling complex services such as insurance, holiday packages, cryptocurrencies, or membership to a digital marketing platform. They can help these companies explain their services in an image that is easy to absorb instead of adding lots of text.
The advantage here is that the reader quickly sees the main points, and the stand-out features of the service catch the reader’s eye. The reader will then bookmark/shortlist the service for later reading. At this point, the actual ‘written content’ comes into play.
Accurate Content Can Connect with The Reader
Now, some content aims to draw the consumer in so he or she will seek further information. This means the person likes what they see from an ad or infographic and wants to move into the next stage of the buyer behaviour model: searching for more information.
You can see more about buyer behaviour here on Investopedia.
The ‘information search’ is when the consumer looks for more information about your offering. To persuade the reader to move on and make a purchase decision, you need to get two main points spot-on.
- The presentation of the information
- Make sure it is 100% accurate.
The presentation will ensure that the consumer finds navigating and understanding the content easy. Content writers should introduce the topic, explain briefly what the consumer will learn, and then proceed with subtitled headings, walking the consumer through each section step-by-step. This will help to keep the consumer interested.
Ensuring accurate content will instil trust in your service or product. Do not twist words or lie outright, as this will backfire in the long run.
In addition, accurate information that educates the consumer is very important for word-of-mouth marketing. When the consumer is empowered with information, he/she can pass that information on, recommending your service.
Unlocking the Full Potential of Content Marketing
We have only touched the tip of the iceberg regarding content marketing by giving you food for thought. There is so much involved when creating a content strategy.
Each piece of content will have a different layout and be designed to trigger different reactions or responses from the consumer and eventually educate the consumer about your product or service.
The idea is to use the buyer behaviour model to trigger interest, liking, and purchase decisions. At the end of this, you also need to reassure your customer that you will not just sell and run – therefore, your content also needs to mention how good your aftercare services are.
