What I Wish Everyone Knew About Content Strategies
Every business owner is unique. Some believe they know enough about content marketing to get by on their own. Others know there is a need for input from a seasoned professional, but aren’t sure where to start. Some are convinced that one particular form of internet marketing is the “way to go”, whether it’s SEO, email marketing, social media, or pay-per-click campaigns. And some are just trying to do the best they can with the resources they currently have.
None of the above situations are wrong, per se.
But when a business owner defends some of the common misconceptions about content marketing strategies, it can lead to missed opportunities and lost revenue.
For these reasons, I take the educational aspect of being an Edmonton content marketing consultant to heart.
I know that when my clients are informed about the fallacies surrounding content marketing and it’s viability in a way that is transparent, sincere, and evidence-based, they are more likely to see the value in this form of digital marketing and visualize the results it can produce for their enterprise.
So, for today’s post, I’ve decided to shine a light on some of the most prevalent mistaken beliefs surrounding digital content strategies, in hopes of providing clarity.
What I Wish Everyone Knew About Content Strategies
Social Media Does Convert
For the pragmatist, social media marketing can be a hard sell. No-nonsense entrepreneurs aren’t interested in boosting “likes” or gaining followers if their bottom line isn’t going to benefit— and that’s completely valid! But rejecting a social media advertising and posting strategy before you’ve fully investigated the possible outcomes can be short-sighted.
With a detailed, firmly established social media advertising campaign, conversion rates have been proven to sit around 2-5 percent. If you have 5,000 followers, that’s approximately 250 people who would land on your website and complete the action you want them to take (this could be anything from signing up for an e-newsletter to purchasing a product).
Furthermore, nearly half of social media users (48%) have bought something after seeing an ad and one-third of Instagram users have purchased through the platform on mobile.
Numbers like these are crucial considerations before opting to forego a social media strategy plan for your business— especially if other businesses within your niche aren’t capitalizing on this method.
Your Receptionist Shouldn’t Be Writing Your Online Content
Or your assistant, or your web developer. Content creation is about more than putting words on a page. The copy you produce for your content marketing strategy has to be optimized for search engine performance, formatted for increased readability, free of any grammar or spelling mistakes, and written in a way that drives the reader to act. Otherwise, it won’t be doing you any favours.
In fact, 59 percent of website visitors say spelling errors would deter them from doing business with a brand and more than 75 percent of the top 20 websites in Google search results have optimized their copy for SEO.
So, before you ask one of your employees to whip up some copy, it’s always advisable to consult with a professional who can guarantee your content will meet these requirements.
You Need to Know Your Ideal Customer Before You Can Sell Them With Content
Too often, I meet with clients who have a clear vision of the results they want, but don’t yet have a comprehensive customer persona.
Before you decide on your social media advertising budget or your next blog topic, you should have a documented, in-depth buyer persona you can use to guide your marketing efforts.
You’ll need to answers questions like:
How old is my ideal customer?
What is their average household income?
What pain points would convince my target audience to purchase my solution or service?
Where do my ideal customers live? In a specific city? Across the country?
What interests or behaviours do my target audience members share? Are they mothers? Are they athletic? Are they mountain climbers who could benefit from better footwear? The more thorough you are, the better.
Remember, organizations who use a buyer persona and map content to the customer journey experience 73 percent more conversions compared to organizations that don’t practice persona marketing. Thus, it really is in your best interest to build one, or work with an experience content marketing consultant who can include this process as a part of their services.
How I Can Help
As a proficient Edmonton content marketer with more than 10 years of copywriting and online marketing experience, I have seen and been responsible for the favourable results a quality content marketing strategy can generate. Thus, I am uniquely qualified to help businesses develop customized strategies of their own that are responsive to the individual needs of their company.
When developing content marketing strategies for my clients, I conduct in-depth interviews with key team members to gain an exhaustive understanding of their intended audience, their competitors, and their business sector as a whole.
I also use leading-edge online tools to conduct my own research and gather data that can further inform and shape their content strategy.
By laying a strong, well-rounded foundation, I am able to ensure that the content marketing strategies I provide are tailor-made to address the concerns and gaps that are impacting my clients the most.
If this sounds like a service your business or organization could benefit from, I encourage you to reach out today. I am always happy to provide further information or answer any questions you may have.