Emails are the digital equivalent of snail mail. Sure, you can keep track of all of your precious deliveries with a smartphone app or newsletter sign-ups, but the truth is you’ll probably miss out on important messages because you don’t check your email often enough.
To combat this issue, marketing and communication professionals are turning to content marketing to inspire their next email initiative.
What is content marketing?
Put simply, content marketing is the use of content to attract, retain and motivate customers. Content marketing doesn’t necessarily require you to write articles; it can also be as simple as regularly posting videos, photos, or gifs to social media channels.
The idea is to create content that is valuable, reliable, and, above all, interesting to your audience. When executed correctly, content marketing can prove to be a very effective way of attracting, engaging and motivating customers – and, ultimately, transforming them into delighted customers who will remain engaged with your brand.
1. Short and Sweet
Everyone has time for quick, easy snacks on the go. But, did you know that you can take the hassle out of meal prep with premade snacks and meal kits?
With the busy schedules that we all have, snacks and quick meals are some of the most useful items within our kitchens. But, while they’re convenient, most of us don’t take the time to prepare snacks and meals professionally, leading to an unappetizing selection of takeaways and unhealthy restaurant food.
This is where content marketing comes in. Short and sweet blog posts and videos that give useful tips or tricks are ideal for content marketing. If you can include useful tips or hacks that your audience can apply to their own lives, you’ll reach out to a much wider audience than you normally would, as they’ll value your advice.
An example of a successful short and sweet video from DontMessWithCats is shown below:
This is an ideal platform for sharing quick tips and tricks, as well as proven hacks and shortcuts that can save your audience time and effort. If you can integrate your content into a coherent story that builds towards a satisfying conclusion, you’ll be able to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.
2. Build Confidence
Whether or not you admit it, you’ve probably felt anxious about trying something new or taking a step outside of your comfort zone.
When it comes to food, we’re often anxious about trying new ingredients, preparing meals that are unique and varied, or even being able to cook, because we’ve never tried it before. But, if you’re honest with yourself, you know that there are many wonderful things about your natural ability to cook.
So, rather than focusing on what you don’t have, like a lot of people would, try and build confidence by acknowledging your strengths.
As an individual contributor, you may not have all the skills required to create an infographic for a business. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. With practice, planning, and research, you can become an expert in this area and use your talents to create beautiful, informative graphics for businesses around the world. Practice makes perfect, and infographics are something that you can build up your skillset on.
A business can also provide you with the opportunity to flex those muscles and prove yourself. If you’re interested in gaining confidence in a new area, why not consider a business opportunity that requires the skills you lack? You may just find that it’s the best way to boost your self-esteem as well as earn some extra cash.
3. Be Unique
There are many successful brands out there, but they all have one thing in common: they are all unique.
If you can be unique, you can be confident that you’ll stand out from the crowd and catch the attention of your audience. While there are many tactics you can use to be unique, creating a brand identity is one of the best ways to ensure that you stick out among the masses.
To create a brand identity, you must find your strengths and quirks as a personal brand and translate them into meaningful content.
By being unique, you ensure that your message is conveyed in a clear and concise manner, as well as create a stronger connection with your audience. In today’s world, having a clear and concise message is essential, as people are constantly bombarded with information. If your content is valuable and unique, you’re more likely to gain credibility and, ultimately, gain more customers.
To create unique content, you have to be willing to take a divergent approach and do things that nobody else is doing. Consider brainstorming with a marketing professional, or even a coworker, to come up with ideas that nobody else is thinking about. You’ll be surprised at how many businesses there are that fit into this category.
4. Build a Following
If you can gain enough traction online, you can build a following that continues to grow. When you have a following, you can use your platform to push out new content when it comes to food, travel, lifestyle, and more.
With a small audience, you can use your blog to experiment with different article ideas and see what resonates with your readers. If you can prove to your audience that you know what you’re talking about and can provide valuable information, you’ll gain credibility and, ultimately, gain more followers.
As your audience grows, you can consider using a content platform like Twitter to engage with your followers. While it can be tempting to focus solely on garnering views and favourites, building credibility through valuable content means more engaged followers who are likely to spread the word about your brand.
5. Measurement
To know if your content is effective, you must be able to measure its impact. With a solid measurement plan in place, you can determine what’s working and what’s not, as well as identify any trends that you might want to address. For example, does a video go down better as an infographic or as a simple blog post?
Along with a solid measurement plan, you should have clear goals in mind regarding your content’s desired outcome. With clear goals in place, you’re more likely to create content that is meaningful and helpful to your audience, rather than simply trying to drum up views.