The word content engulfs a myriad of creative pieces like images, graphics, written material, or any mix of these. However, content marketing is much more than content creation. It is a strategy that guides the production of content to capture an audience’s attention to lead to conversions. The material developed for a content marketing strategy meets specific criteria like engaging your audience, grasping attention, and having passion. The term engaging is thrown around when content development is discussed, but it is never really defined. Engaging your audience means providing content that is valuable to the audience consuming it. For instance, written pieces like blogs or newsletters can’t be vague or surface-level chatter but must deliver a solution for the reader. Let’s take a blog for a dermatology practice. If your patients ask about your opinion on skin products, a great content piece could be a list of the top skincare products you recommend. With that said, the content pieces must be written with passion, or your material could fall flat. If you write about a pediatric practice topic, make sure that the parent’s reading can feel your dedication to children’s health through your writing. Many business owners want content created for their company to have branded material to increase their website SEO. However, publishing written material optimized with keywords doesn’t guarantee that your audience will take the time to read it. Business owners tend to see themselves as a voice of authority in their industry, but without grasping the audience’s attention, the SEO tactics won’t work to their full potential.
Content creation is a continuous process, and as your business, industry, and audience evolve, so should your content marketing strategy.
If you are looking for information on effective content strategies, read my last blog on connecting, convincing, and converting content marketing.