No matter what business you’re in, chances are you have some competition. Maybe your product or service is superior to other options that exist in your market. Maybe it isn’t. Having the best offer doesn’t matter. Instead, concentrate on making sure your target market perceives your company’s deal to be the right one for them. Until they believe, they may never buy from you.
How can you set yourself apart from all the other alternatives? Publishing content online is a great start, as long at it’s high-quality material that truly helps consumers within your target market. Your published pieces should build goodwill, earn trust and position you as an authority in your industry.
Potential customers in your target market are struggling with something. Something is keeping them up at night. They want a specific result, and they’re willing to pay for it. Because we live in the information age, they’re likely searching for online information — content — that can help them find a solution.
This is exactly why every business today needs a content marketing strategy. A sound plan ensures your target market will find you when they start looking for answers.
In his book “Epic Content Marketing,” Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi offers the best definition of “content” I’ve seen. Pulizzi describes content marketing as “the marketing and business process for creating and distributing valuable and compelling content to attract, acquire and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience — with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
Understand how content can help.
Well-researched and thoughtfully written content helps your target audience — at no cost to them. It’s crucial that you also give them a specific call to action, or CTA. Urge them to visit your website, book a free consultation or subscribe to your newsletter. Any of these tools opens the door to building a relationship and acquiring a customer.
There are as many different types of content as there are people searching for it. Blog posts, magazine articles, videos, webinars, white papers and e-books are some of the most common. The list goes on and on. The sheer possibilities leave many entrepreneurs and organizations feeling overwhelmed. Unsure of which types of content to pursue, they sit on the sidelines.
My recommendation: If you’re not already engaging your target market with podcasts, prepare to launch your first piece of audio content. Here are seven ways you’ll benefit right along with your customers.
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