How Digital Content Can Transform Your Marketing Efforts

By Author: Chris Skura
Total Articles: 3
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In the past few years, there’s been a real transformation in the way people consume information and communicate. Fueled by the mass adoption of mobile devices and tablet platforms, this transformation in consumer behavior demands that the ways we market also evolve. This is especially true in business-to-business where brands compete in a content-flooded environment with countless information sources to capture buyers’ attention.

With consumers more sophisticated and the landscape more crowded, connecting with your audience is more complex than ever before. Buyers are not persuaded by advertising alone. They’re using the web, search, social networks, and more to educate themselves on potential purchases. Research shows consumers are 60% through the buyer’s journey before reaching out to brands for help on available options.

This is where digital content marketing comes into play.

While a clear brand strategy is vital in any digital content marketing effort, it takes a great deal of momentum to drive discovery and engagement. Relying on the old model of periodic campaigns is no ...
... longer enough. Today the brand “voice” takes a front seat, while the hard sell takes a step back, and artfully communicating to your audience is critical in a feed-based advertising landscape that is here to stay.

In 2012, content marketing was the leading tactic for 18.9% of marketers worldwide. In 2013, that percentage has grown to 34.8%. I’m seeing this trend in action with more and more of my clients balancing out their traditional marketing efforts with content marketing campaigns.

Methods for achieving success through a content marketing effort can vary, but here are a few suggestions for best practices to help advertisers kick-start their programs:

Don’t Just Sell, Add Value
Offer useful content that will earn you credibility with your desired audience. Give them information that will make them smarter, more productive, more successful or the first in the know. Give your buyers digital content and collateral to review outside of your face to face meeting, this private interaction with your content is just as beneficial to your brand as the face to face meeting was.

Completely Understand How Effective Your Content Is
If done right, a winning digital content marketing strategy will enhance consideration of your brand and generate revenue. It’s an opportunity to engage through authentic conversations at scale, and capture metrics that can be used to develop content that will work. Having clear targeted messaging will foster invaluable relationships, leaving a lasting impression and goodwill.

“THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF WAYS TO GAIN GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR AUDIENCE, BUT THERE’S NO BETTER BAROMETER THAN THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HEAR ON THE PLATFORMS WHERE YOU HAVE A CONSTANT STREAM OF INFORMATION.”

Keep track of the metrics that really encourage your audience to engage and interact with your digital content. These will be important so you can quickly adjust your plans without losing sight of your goals.

Keep It Fresh and New
Doing so shows that your brand is invested in more than the sale, making you a trusted source when purchase decisions are made. You will quickly lose interest in your brand if you continually show the same collateral.

In time you’ll find real value in your investment through the engagement you see, the relationships you built, the amplification of your messages and ultimately, the impact on your revenue.