There is a huge demand for quality content. Over three-quarters of all purchasing decisions are based on research gathered from published content. So, if you want higher search traffic and more profit, then you should consider implementing a content marketing strategy. This post covers essential content marketing techniques. It will teach you to leverage your content in ways that build brand loyalty, increase audience engagement.
Create customized landing pages
In digital marketing, a landing page is an independent web page designed for a specific advertising or marketing campaign. It is where the visitor arrives when they click a link in a promotional email, or advertisements on Bing, Google, Twitter, and similar places on the internet. Unlike traditional web pages, which have many goals and encourage users to explore, landing pages are made with a single goal in mind. It is this level of specialization that makes them so successful at increasing conversion rates for marketing campaigns and reducing the overall cost of lead acquisition.
Landing pages allow you to tailor your content to each of your market segments. For instance, although your product could be equally beneficial for entrepreneurs and young mothers, each of these groups has different needs, so you’ll want to ensure you emphasize the aspects of your product that appeal to them through separate target audiences. This approach will help your content draw better results because each story will target a specific type of consumer.
Audience segmentation
Effective content marketers understand the need for audience segmentation on the basis of product needs. Segmentation is critical for a simple reason: many of your website’s visitors aren’t buyers, but others are. In simple terms, since the people who visit your website are at different phases of the buyer funnel, you shouldn’t expect them to respond to your content in the same way. For instance, content that’s meant to create awareness amongst new consumers wouldn’t be helpful for loyal, repeat buyers. Just like the landing pages, for best results, your content marketing should align with your business’s buyer personas.
Remember, a buyer persona is the fully developed profile of an individual that represents a segment of your audience. It will help you create content that speaks to each audience segment more effectively. Admittedly, this is hard to accomplish on a website or blog. However, you could use email marketing. Email list segmentation is critical if you want to maximize the gains from your subscriber list. A recent study showed that about 40% of email marketers who adopted the strategy achieved higher open rates, and 28% improved email deliverability and revenue.
Know your audience, offer them what they want
Before you can develop engaging content, you have to properly understand your audience. One way to do this is through keyword research; it will help you know what your customers are typing into their search engines. Start by building a better understanding of your topic or industry by checking it through Google trends. Just type your main keywords into the search bar to know how to evaluate its search volume over a specific period of time. The more you understand your readers, the better your ability to create content they will want to read.
Focus on factual data and think strategically
There are times it is necessary to verify facts or data through personal experimentation. In the fast-paced world of content marketing, what was true three years ago may no longer be relevant today. So, instead of accepting all that you read as irrefutable truth, you should evaluate it tactfully and critically. It’s highly likely you’ll experiment and get different results, a common occurrence. However, through careful observation, brainstorming, and review, you can develop new concepts that others will learn from. That’s what will make you a content marketing expert.
Target young demographic groups with adaptive content
Millennials are a unique generation. They are the largest and most diverse age group, and undoubtedly constitute a large portion of your target market. Your content should answer their needs and values. Central among these is the desire for adaptive content. Millennials are remarkably tech-savvy and prefer websites that offer a consistent experience across multiple devices. Platforms that publish adaptive content allow viewers to access the material through their desktop computers, smartphones, and tablets without any decline in quality. This favors audience engagement and brand loyalty.
Run A/B tests
Do you conduct regular split tests?
Studies have shown that content typically converts 1-3% of its readers. A/B split testing will help you improve this statistic. Even a 1% percent increase can have dramatic results in profitability. A/B split tests help you identify which types of content appeal to your customers. Once you discover the topics they like most, you’ll know what should be added or removed from your content strategy. Split testing should focus on issues that directly affect search performance such as site speed, headlines, Calls to Action, Landing pages, and so on.
Use native advertising
Native advertising is a digital marketing technique in which the content of the ads displayed on a web page matches its content. Most people think native advertisements are dishonest since they don’t appear to be ads, but it shouldn’t be that way. Native ad spaces can still offer value. For instance, Newscred regularly sponsors its content on LinkedIn. For every dollar spent, the Company gains a return on investment of $17. That’s about six times the returns from Google ad words. People are more inclined to look at a native advertisement than a banner. In fact, some agencies consider it a form of content marketing, so it should offer unique and useful information to your target audience. As long as your ads are relevant to the content that surrounds them, they will draw user traffic. Use this to build engagement and increase conversions.
Regardless of your industry content marketing is, and will continue to be one of the best ways to grow your business. While it is true that the digital market place is getting more competitive, you shouldn’t struggle to be heard. All you need to do is find people willing to listen. Establishing a relationship with them will ensure your business gets a steady stream of referrals, leads, and loyal customers.