"Content marketing" is one of the most commonly bandied about buzzwords of the digital marketing industry in the 2010s.
However, there is a frequent misconception regarding the process as well as what proper content marketing actually entails. Too often businesses rely on intermittently publishing the occasional blog or sporadically engaging on social media. The results, unsurprisingly, fail to generate any tangibly positive results. The resulting frustration usually causes reduced effort, which only serves to further feed the cycle of failure.
Don't be like those businesses.
"Too often businesses publish the occasional blog or sporadically engage on social media. Don't be like them." (CLICK TO TWEET)
So, what does good content marketing actually look like?
Be Unique
Very simply, the primary objective is to transform all of your content into something that is unique and therefore memorable. In a heartless world where attention spans are minimal and competition is fierce, one must deliver all content with an eye toward standing apart from the crowd. Write with voice. Write with sass. Write with anything that avoids slumping into a tone of monotony.
Be Consistent
The goal behind crafting your uniqueness is to attract views that result in links and shares, which consequently will attract new viewers and simultaneously improve your SEO. Every link or share that is generated could also potentially result in yet another link or share, thereby producing a cascading snowball effect of new visits. Extreme examples of this effect are evident on YouTube, where amateur videos can "go viral" and transform average citizens into internet celebrities overnight.
Unfortunately, the above scenario is not likely for most businesses, especially when the topics pertinent to their industry are inherently dry. However, that segues into the next point about content marketing that is frequently forgotten: it must be a long-term and consistent effort. Many of your blogs will never gain any traction whatsoever and will fail to rank in Google. However, with content marketing there is always strength in volume. Writing ten interesting blog posts significantly increases the odds of your discovery over writing one interesting post. It is often as simple as a straight "numbers game", and those with the bullheaded determination to continue churning out content are much more likely to be declared the victor.
Be Visual
Lastly, one enormously overlooked piece of content marketing is its visual aspect. Even the most utterly fascinating arrangements of words and sentences still require visual aids, preferably equally as fascinating. Videos, compelling images, and illustrations are your friend. Use them! Visual aids also provide additional SEO opportunities, which further assist with elevating your rankings when optimized properly.
Obviously, most of these tasks fall into the category of "easier said than done." But there's no crying in content marketing, and nobody promised you that domination of the internet would materialize with ease. Strive forth with confidence, and remember to engage uniquely, frequently, and visually to achieve success.