Content marketing continues to be a growing marketing strategy as people demand and consume content faster than ever before. According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), 76% of business-to-customers brands use content marketing to connect with their customers. You may have seen all the big brands use this platform but it is not limited to them. The best thing about content marketing today is that anyone can do it. This is especially great for small and medium-sized businesses!
Brands use various channels for their content marketing strategies. According to the “2016 Benchmark, Budgets, and Trends in North America” research of the CMI, 90% of B2C content marketing tactics are pushed through social media. As we continue our series on Revisiting Content Marketing, we will answer this question, how can you create compelling content? While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, here are some tips to help you get started!
1. Make sure it matters
Relevance is crucial to your brand’s content marketing strategy. It is vital to observe what is popular with your customers or else your efforts will be another case of hit-and-miss. Knowing what your audience is interested in, what they like, and where they are is paramount to the success of your content marketing.
Create content that is not only relevant to your brand and your customers but also to what is happening around you. This will allow people to see your business as “one of them” rather than another company that shoves products and services in their faces.
A great example is Farmers Insurance Group, they post helpful content on home maintenance, auto insurance, and even budgeting. These are done in an engaging, concise, and easy navigable manner. You can easily see in their posts that they want to help their readers. Selling is only secondary. 
2. Provide entertainment
Brands are just as imperfect as humans. Capitalize on this side of your business by being human in your content. Poking fun at your own brand can even help raise people’s interest and cultivate brand loyalty.
An excellent of example of this is the satirical exchange between US President Barack Obama and Zach Galifianakis in “Between Two Ferns” on the Funny or Die website. Through humor and entertainment, the President promoted the Affordable Care Act. The content was so successful that it generated over 34 million views and boosted HealthCare.gov traffic by 40%.
3. Tap into emotions
Tapping into human emotions allows your audience to feel a personal connection with your brand. Dove has taken this to a new level with their Self-Esteem Project that aims to “improve the self-esteem of more than 15 million girls and young women.” More recently, American Eagle’s Aerie lingerie line has also shifted their campaigns to showcase diversity and body positivity. Since they stopped using Photoshop on their models, the brand reported that they saw a 20% increase in sales.
4. Write a striking headline
A clever title is crucial to getting people to continue reading. Your headline is your first—and for some “the only”—impression on a prospective reader. On average, only eight out of 10 people will read your headline but only two will read more. Make sure to come up with a catchy title that will not only tell your prospects what the content is about but also makes them want to find out more.
You can ask questions like, “Are You Too Clever For Success?” or “When Is It Time to Expand Your Business?” Short headlines are also great like “Pay to Play – Facebook Says” or “Spy on Competition Legally.” Do not forget the classic how-to headlines like “How to be Productive Wherever You Are” and list titles like “7 Ways to Make Your Emails Worth Clicking.”
5. Back it up
There is nothing that makes your brand look more credible than having your content backed up by others. This is especially true when writing blogs. Make sure to include credible sources like quotes and inputs from experts. Using statistical data is another source that can back up your content. This is especially important in writing a data-driven post. Moreover, it also shows that your business care enough to research in order to support your claims.
Creating compelling content does not happen overnight. You might encounter a couple of near-hits-and-misses but once you figure out what your audience wants to see, creating content will come easy. Keep in mind that when it comes to content marketing consider your target market first before your brand. Always think of it in the context of giving a gift. You will not give something the recipient won’t like. Same goes with your audience. You will not create a content they will not appreciate nor benefit from. And when they love your content, brand loyalty will follow suit.
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Revisit the importance of content on our Content Marketing Series!
- Revisiting Content Marketing: Content is Still King
- 5 Ways to Create Compelling Content
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Have a Content Calendar
- 5 Common Content Marketing Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
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This post is what I’ve been looking for. I agree with the five sub-topic. Make sure it matters, Provide entertainment, Tap into emotions, Write a striking headline, and Back it up. I must say what a beautiful write up
Thanks Pepper VA for these great tips on the value of content in today’s creating relevant content.
Thanks Pepper VA on the great tips for creating relevant content.