Research reveals that almost 94% of small businesses opt for a content marketing strategy. Only 9% of them consider content marketing strategy to be effective. The rest of them consult with content marketers, like you and me, to know what’s going on. I have made a list of the most frequently asked questions on Content Marketing to help the blooming content marketers out there. Consider this as a teeny-weeny cheat sheet to deal with clients.
#1 What Exactly Is Content Marketing?
It is a strategic marketing approach to create and distribute relevant, consistent and valuable content. Check out the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign started by the Coca Cola Company in 2011 to understand the concept of content marketing even better.
Tip: A relevant example always helps.
#2 Is It Right For My Small Business?
Study says that people are more likely to know about small businesses through online press releases or articles. Small businesses can enjoy a shorter sales cycle and measurable custom conversion tracking features.
Tip: Small or big, let your clients know the benefits of connecting with you.
#3 Does Content Marketing Work?
In the words of Neil Patel, leaders of content marketing get 7.8 times more website traffic than others. You can keep a check on the success of your strategies through your content marketing program.
Tip: Support your answer with relevant statistics.
- #4 Content Marketing Is Educating My Target Audience. Isn’t That Going To Help My Competitors?
There is a slight possibility that your competitors may catch a glimpse of your strategies and try to beat you in the market. However, the right content marketing strategies will boost customer loyalty and help you retain your customers.
Tip: Connect content marketing with customer loyalty and engagements
#5 How can content marketing address my target clients throughout their customer purchase journey?
There are 5 buying stages and each stage follows a specific content marketing strategy. The content should target the needs of your target audience and motivate them at different stages of their buying process.
Tip: Works better if you show them the diagrammatic representation of the cycle
#6 How can I use content marketing to enhance brand presence?
Apart from increasing sales, content marketing is also about building your brand awareness. Make sure your brand aligns with your content. Visit this link to promote brand awareness.
Tip: Show them how content marketing will set their brand apart
#7 How to make sure the content is relevant to the audience?
Knowing the target audience is the key here. The specific characteristics of your ideal customers will drive the content marketing campaign. You can also use the Google Analytics account to check which pages are working out and which are not.
Tip: Show them how to keep a check on the website’s performance
#8 How to manage different audiences with the same content?
Instead of writing three original emails, write one email and include all the offers and call to actions in it. Change the opening sentences of those emails depending on the need of your target audience.
Tip: Tell them how content marketing works for multiple audiences
#9 Why aren’t people reading my content?
This can happen due to the lack of link-worthy contents or valuable contents on your website. For example, instead of writing about how great you are, write about how you can solve the problems of your potential customer.
Tip: Keep an SEO handbook ready
#10 Do audience and traffic mean the same thing?
Traffic is the synonym for visitors or the people who visited and left your website. Audiences are the ones who have spent a long time on your website. Audiences might be interested in your products and they may look forward to buying your services.
Tip: Explain to them how driving traffic will lead to a larger audience
#11 How do I make my contents go viral?
Try using these steps to increase the online popularity of your contents. You can use unique storytelling techniques or directly address a pain point for the audience in the content. Make it interactive, genuine and let your readers comment.
Tip: Discuss different content promotion techniques
#12 Can I use content marketing to help other people in my company?
Content marketing strategies can be used by recruiters to hire talented employees. The head of training can also use it to educate current employees. Check out the real-life examples in which content marketing helped to accomplish significant objectives.
Tip: Personal experiences can help in this case.
#13 How important is voice search?
Keyword research is important, but that’s not the only important thing. According to research, 55% of teens and 41% of adults use voice search already. Voice search has been impacting SEO efforts for years and it will dominate the entire market by 2020.
Tip: Appreciate the significance of adopting new strategies
#14 What are the editorial and commercial benefits of generating interactive content?
Content consumption has changed over the years. Nobody likes to read a text-heavy, dull and static assignment, let alone the content. Interactive content stimulates the brain and increases content memorability.
Tip: SEO and scientific journals can help you
#15 How to make my point of view unique?
Weave original ideas while writing contents for your business. Focus on your ‘HOW’ rather than on ‘WHAT.’ Incorporate your personality, real-life stories, a structure, some examples, an attitude and a unique perspective in the content.
Tip: Show them some unique contents for reference
#16 Where do I get inspirations from for my campaign?
You will find various sources of inspiration for your content marketing campaign on the Internet. For example, Cisco invited 20 employees from different office locations to discuss the ways to connect with the members of Generation Z. The employees made their experience go viral on Snapchat.
Tip: Let them know about as many unique ideas as you can
#17 What not to do in content marketing campaigns?
Avoid these 24 mistakes in content marketing that could rip your website apart. Do not forget that content marketing is customer-oriented and not sales oriented. Your primary intention should be to build trust among your audience.
Tip: If you find your clients going in the wrong path, stop them immediately.
#18 What is the purpose of a content marketing strategy?
The main purpose of content marketing is to educate your target audience about your products and services. Content marketing need not necessarily lead to a sales pitch all the time. It can also inform people to make the best purchase decisions.
Tip: Consider your client’s nature of business while explaining the purpose
#19 Is content marketing expensive?
Considering the general overview of the content creation, promotion and distribution costs, content marketing isn’t costly. Rather, it is a matter of perspective when it comes to determining the cost of content marketing campaigns.
Tip: Tell your clients that they can do content marketing on their own
#20 How to measure the influence of contents on sales and revenue?
The marketing and sales team should be tightly aligned to the same business goals. Make sure you implement all the steps required to connect the revenue to the content. Also, keep a check on the change in traffic after generating new content for the website.
Tip: Refer to Google Analytics because you will need it
#21 How does content marketing drive revenue?
Content marketing leads to engagement with your target clients. The more you engage, the faster you can convert potential leads into sales. You can use emails, e-books and case studies to engage with your target audience.
Tip: Share content marketing tips to increase revenue
#22 Can I use it for B2B and B2C brands?
Both B2B as well as B2C brands need to generate contents for building brand awareness, trust and authority. The content requirements of both businesses are different. Understand their distinctions for a substantial impact on your company’s growth.
Tip: Use examples of contents for both the brands
#23 Does it replace traditional marketing?
No, it does not. Not every customer will search the web for answers. Traditional marketing has its considerable share of advantages that cannot be replaced with content marketing. However, content marketing can build brand awareness and recognition throughout the Internet.
Tip: Be honest about the limitations of both types of marketing
#24 How often do I need to create content?
You must create or update existing contents as often as possible. Try to create contents consistently to see significant results in sales and revenue. Studies have shown that companies who publish new contents 6-8 times doubled their leads.
Tip: Ask the marketers to keep an eye on the competitors
#25 What are the most effective types of content?
Blogs are not the only content that you can produce for content marketing. You can also use slideshares, e-books, emails, newsletters, videos and podcasts. Make the most of the various types to earn the trust of your target audience.
Tip: Your clients will never know which one’s working unless they give it a shot
Here’s hoping that this blog will help you to answer your client’s questions on content marketing. Consider the tips listed above whenever you struggle to answer questions on content marketing. It is a great strategy to kick-start a business of any size. Share your knowledge and help businessmen create perfect content marketing strategies all around the world.
Gracie Anderson is a content marketing expert and a part-time Ghost writer. She also provides CPM Homework help to students pursuing Marketing.