Content Marketing Tips You Might Not Be Using Yet

Content Marketing Trends

Digital publications develop “top trends” for every topic every year. unfortunately, Most articles list the same trends involving content types and strategies with only minor changes.

What frustrates me is how little effort is put into new content formats. It’s the same old story that video is more effective than the written word, said in a way that implies you’re not up to date.

I mean, we are better than this. Aren’t we?

The trends are about the methods, not the goals. In other words, content that is trending and the stats behind why it is trending is not going to help anybody in a significant way.

Now that I’ve expressed my frustrations, I will share my list of content marketing trends. Should I just call this a list of observations? Perhaps that’s more accurate. I hope this list allows you to pause and reflect on your content marketing choices and strategies. Maybe it will inspire you to find a seed of an idea that will make your content marketing better.

Focus on Positive Content Experience

I realize that my last speech was very long, and now I’m starting this list with something as unspecific as a content experience.

It seems like the internet, especially regarding marketing, is all about the word “experience.” Customer experience, user experience, buyer experience, conversational experience, messaging experience, etc., are all part of the “experience economy.”

You have heard and read the word “cliché” so often that it’s becoming an invisible word you are more likely to mock than take seriously. Although something may be bothersome because it is too loud, there is often some truth.

Focusing on experience works.

Content marketing shouldn’t be about providing an amazing experience that will change your audience’s life.

This is more about being honest and sticking to what you said you would do rather than being creative or having a lot of money.

This shouldn’t be hard, should it? Although it may be difficult to understand, we are still discussing it as a very complex topic.

Ganesh, the Director of Marketing at Avoma and the host of the ABM Conversations Podcast, believes that content experience is key to success in marketing. He has written multiple books on the subject. He believes that every piece of content you create has value, trust, objectivity, and expectations at its core.

He doesn’t like it when brands compare themselves to their competitors because it’s a bad experience for the reader.

When you create an expectation of answering an issue but don’t deliver the promised value, you’re devaluing the experience and making it less likely that people will trust you or pay attention to you.

If you make a promise, make sure you can deliver on it. You build trust so that people will come to you when they have questions about the topics you are knowledgeable about. Or, at least, seek you for answers to that. Sometimes you might have an answer. even if you don’t always have the answer, at least you’ve built up trust with them and can say you don’t know when you genuinely don’t have the answer.

This means that instead of trying to sell a product, focus on providing a good experience to customers.

Many people are betting on trust and value.

Other people who create online content share the same ideas, even though they might not use the term “content experience.”

There’s never more than one person talking on the webinar at a time (unlike, say, a panel), which keeps the focus tight and makes sure attendees are never left wondering, ‘who is this person, and why are they on my screen?’”

The VP of Marketing at SparkToro, Amanda Natividad, believes that their webinar series is successful because it focuses on the experience and value. She says that only one person talks on the webinar at a time, which keeps the focus tight so that attendees are never left wondering who that person is.

We sometimes have a guest presenter talk to us about marketing strategy. If it makes sense, we will incorporate how SparkToro can be used to improve our strategy as we go. We want to make our event series valuable to marketers of all levels, so they can learn something without using SparkToro.

Bypass Search Volume as Content Idea Generator

Search volume for keywords is a major factor in deciding what content to create. It’s understandable. Google’s search rankings significantly affect the amount of organic traffic a website gets. Hence, ensuring your site ranks for relevant keywords in your industry is important.

While SEO is still important, it is not as simple as it used to be, and there are several issues that content marketers should be aware of. You may sacrifice quality, value, and trustworthiness if you focus too much on making your content rank well and generating revenue.

These are all important factors that contribute to a positive user experience. According to marketer Gaetano DiNardi, many industries have been optimized to the point where it is difficult to find the information you need.

Focusing on SEO can make it easy to forget about creating a good content experience. Google is receiving less trust from people, and more users are going to sites like Reddit to find solutions to their questions.

This means that relying solely on search volume to generate ideas is not as effective as it used to be.

Another problem with search volume is the volume itself. Many ideas interest customers and larger audiences but may not be the most commonly searched. The problem with this is that people constantly talk about the same problem or idea in various ways. Thus, at one point, search volumes leave you hanging.

Where to find the ideas, then?

I wish I had something new or different to say at this point. The best way to be successful is to listen to your customers, community members, colleagues, etc.

For Amanda Natividad, the nature of SparkToro almost requires not relying on SEO. The tool helps brands to identify their audience and the best places to reach them so that they don’t have to rely so much on SEO for organic exposure. There is no specific keyword for that concept: “We are referring to it as audience research […], but it is not a commonly searched-for term.

People aren’t saying how to do audience research. They’re just not searching for that. The speaker says they are not creating an SEO-driven strategy because it is focused on problems. She would rather write about things related to marketing that are interesting and present problems differently. How can we create content that we genuinely believe is good and interesting?

8 Simple, Useful Content Marketing Tips That Often Go Overlooked (But Shouldn’t)

1) Look for Blog Topics Right in Your Email Inbox

You are probably getting a lot of questions, comments, and inquiries about your business every day, and some of them keep happening again and again. If you regularly answer the same questions from clients or customers, you should consider writing a blog post on your company’s website.

Aside from functioning as a one-stop shop for FAQs, this also makes your company more down to earth, furnishes the customer with useful information, and demonstrates that you are considering their needs and worries.

2) Embed Your Videos

Research has demonstrated that blogs containing videos are more popular and receive more clicks and shares than those without videos. You should integrate all of your company’s promotional or educational videos into blog posts.

In addition to providing customers with additional ways to consume your content, videos are also highly linkable, which means there’s a good chance your website will receive more traffic from people who are not already familiar with your brand.

3) If You Don’t Have Any Videos — Make Some

What makes your company stand out against the competition? What can you teach people? I was wondering if you would be willing to turn your expertise and excitement into a video.

A company that sells fly fishing equipment could produce a series of videos on fly tying, whereas a content creation company could produce a few videos on publishing great blogs. When you share your knowledge with others, they are likely to pass it around, resulting in more traffic and customers for you.

4) Compile a “Who-to-Follow” List

You are an expert in your field, and people know that, but people always want you to teach them more. You should compile a list of other people who are experts in your field to learn from them and improve your own skills. This provides two benefits: consumers will see you as a trusted source of information, and the people you link to will likely return the favor.

Effective content marketing is concerned with developing a good reputation, which can be best done through building relationships with other experts and word-of-mouth.

5) Create a List of Facts that Supports Your Mission

Facts are compelling and easily shared; people love learning new things. If you want to create content that is likely to be linked to, try publishing a blog post or infographic that includes a list of facts that support your company’s main goal or mission statement.

Fulfilling the customer’s need for knowledge not only shows that your company is thoughtful but also that it has done its research.

6) Tell a Great Story

Apple and Subaru can sell products by telling stories that resonate with their target audiences. Think about what your company is passionate about and how that matches the company’s goals. See if you can work that into your content marketing strategy.

If you’re selling a product that promises a certain lifestyle, tell a story about how that product has made someone happy, comfortable, or safe. The most effective way to attract customers is by appealing to their emotions and telling a convincing story.

7) Consider the Questions Your Customers Ask

When buyers want to purchase an item, they frequently use the internet for guidance and research. If someone types a question into Google, they will be given millions of results. Your company’s answer must be one of them.

A great product is no longer enough to succeed in today’s content era. People need to see that a company is trustworthy before purchasing. This requires a company to build authority from the beginning.

Discuss your customers’ questions and answer them in your blog or website post. Doing this will make you seem like an expert in the area and increase consumer confidence, leading to more sales and conversions.

8) Make It a Date (Specifically)

While many companies offer ample opportunities for consumers to sign up for an email list or blog subscription, very few offer specific content delivery at specific times. Tim Ferris, an author and lifestyle coach, often does this with great results.

If you want to build a stronger connection with your customers, invite them to listen to a podcast, participate in a webinar, or join a video conference. This will create a more tangible connection than simply subscribing to an email list. A move like this also helps build a community around your business or product and may lead to additional marketing opportunities, such as podcasts, down the road.

Guest Post Disclaimer
The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of 90-Minute Books. The information has not been verified and should be considered an opinion. You are always advised to do independent research.