What is content marketing? Definition of Content Marketing | mailchimp (2023)

A content marketing strategy establishes your brand as a thought leader, building trust among your audience through the creation and distribution of content in a variety of forms. Content marketing is a type of inbound marketing that attracts customers and builds loyalty, making it effective forcustomer loyalty.

Content Marketing Definition: What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is the development and distribution of relevant and useful content:blogs,newsletters,white books, social media posts,emails, videos and the like, for current and potential customers. When done right, this content conveys expertise and makes it clear that a business values ​​the people it sells to.

The consistent use of content marketing establishes and nurtures relationships with your current and potential customers. When your audience thinks of your business as a partner who is interested in their success and a valuable source of advice and guidance, they are more likely to choose you when it comes time to buy.

Why is content marketing important?

Content marketing is a tactic that has been proven to work. Plus, it gives you a competitive advantage. Take a look at what the data says about content marketing:

• Businesses with blogs get67% more leadsthan other companies.
• 72%ofprofesionales del marketing business to business (B2B)say that content marketing increases engagement and the number ofleads they generate.
• 88% of peopleCredit brand videos to convince them to buy a product or service.

Content marketing benefits businesses in many ways. When done right, an effective content marketing strategy can:

• Increase online visibility. Acontent strategyIt can help you attract more customers and website visitors, especially when people are constantly looking for solutions to their pain points. Offering educational and informational content on a topic of interest can help you increase online visibility through your website or social media accounts.
• Generate more leads. You can increase leads when you use content marketing to drive traffic. Because educating customers builds trust and helps them feel more comfortable buying from your business, you can generate more leads and start building relationships with potential buyers.
• increase loyalty. Loyalty is essential in marketing and business because the more loyal your customers are, the more repeat purchases they will make. Offering content that informs consumers can help them start to build trust with your brand and see you as a thought leader.
• improve authority. Content development is ideal for increasing authority and becoming a thought leader in your industry. Content not only helps build trust, but it can also position your brand as the most trusted on a specific topic.

How content marketing works

Your business can use content marketing to attract potential customers,make a case for your product or servicewhen someone is researching what to buy and closing sales.

To use it effectively, you'll need to deliver the right content at every stage of the sales cycle, from awareness to consideration to purchase. If that sounds complicated, don't worry: approaching content this way simplifies the process.

See how companies use content marketing at every stage of the sales cycle to attract and sell.

stage of consciousness

In the first step of the sales process, your content should focus on the main concerns of your audience. Writing about their pain points, challenges, and questions gives you the best opportunity to engage with them. The content of the awareness stage should be educational, with practical advice. Save your sale for the consideration and closing phases.

The best content for this step includes articles,blog posts, e-books, videos and newsletters.

Examples:

• A restaurantwrite a blog poston how to plan a menu for a spring graduation party.
• A bike touring company creates a short video on the topic “3 ways to choose the right bike trip”.
• An architecture firm creates an eBook called "Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect."

consideration stage

At the consideration stage, the content should offer a hybrid of useful information and marketing. You should educate the reader on what features or functions to look for and how the various features meet their needs. Of course, your content should lean towards what your business offers.

The best content for this phase includes case studies, how-to articles,Videos of' how to doand checklists or worksheets.

Examples:__

• A cloud-based phone systems company creates a checklist titled "8 ways to improve your phone's customer service" that details the features and functions that makeExcellent client servicepossible.
• A landscaping company creates case studies on "The Biggest Mistakes Most People Make When Hiring a Landscape Designer."
• A caterer presents case studies of successful events focusing on the benefits they provide, such as "How to accommodate food allergies at your next event" or "How to ensure your caterer uses sustainable practices."

closing phase

Content marketing plays an important role when a potential customer is close to buying. At this stage, you can focus on sales as long as you continue to demonstrate why you are the best choice, not just how good your services or products are.

Your core message here should be your experience, knowledge, and the differentiating benefits of what you sell.

The best content for this step:case studies, user generated content, buyers guide, product video, research report

Examples:

• A consulting firm creates a research report showing that companies that engage in strategic planning, third-party assessments, and other services, shaped by the services they offer, experience higher growth.
• A design agency creates short videos that showcase the variety of their work in different industries to demonstrate their diverse background.
• An orthodontic practice encourages patients to contribute testimonials about its state-of-the-art equipment and top-notch service.

How to get started in content marketing

Content marketing can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. A successful contentMarketing campaignIt must be manageable and sustainable. Follow these steps to get started:

identify yourpublic

To create content for a particular reader, you need to have a clear idea of ​​their priorities, challenges, and preferences. If you have detailed descriptions of your various segments, choose 1 or 2 to write. If not, profile your audience members and prospects before you start.

Determine the correct formats

The correct format matches the stage of the sales cycle for which you are creating content. Another important consideration includes which formats will help you show value. For some it will be a video; for others, a checklist.

An audience will judge your content on its quality, and they should. Identify the appropriate resource, internal or external, to create this job. Regardless of who created it, hire a professional proofreader to proofread anything before you walk out the door.

Determine how you will distribute

Are you going to publish content on your website, email it to people, or print it for an event? Start with "where"you know your audience will probably beand choose formats that make sense. For example, an email article makes sense, a checklist or worksheet can be posted on social media, and a buyer's guide is a good complement to a pitch.

Choose a sustainable schedule

Once you know who your target readers are and the best formats for each stage of the sales cycle, create a short-term plan (3-6 months). It's easy to develop contentplan de marketingthis is too ambitious. However, the plan you design should have content elements that you can realistically accomplish based on your budget and resources. Track how long it takes you to create each piece of content so you caninclude this time in your schedule.

Follow best practices

Engaging content is clearly written and free of jargon that only you and your peers would know. It should also include detailed instructions on how to do it. Short, relevant, and actionable content is best.

SEO and content marketing

Content marketing makes it easy for good potential customers to find your business. However, you can increase your efforts withsearch engine optimization (SEO).

Here are some important best practices:

Keywords are the foundation of your SEO effort. These all-important words and phrases are the terms a potential customer types into a search engine when searching for a business, product, or service.

By including the right keywords in your content, you will attract moretraffic. The best keywords are:

• Simple language:language your audience uses to describe their pain points and needs
• Important:keywords that match the experience, products, and services you provide
• Specific:a combination of your approach, industry experience, potential customer pain points, and other relevant details

SEO has evolved so that search success depends in part on how well your content does what it says it will. Search engines analyze the copy of the content, assess its relevance and determine if it lives up to what the title promises.

Due to the importance search engines place on copy, it is important to use keywords throughout your content. Use the following guidelines:

• Focus on 1 or 2 keywords.Avoid "keyword overload" by writing about what's important to your prospects by focusing on just a few keyword phrases.
• Use keywords in the title.Make the article clear and explicit.
• Use keywords at all times.Find a way to naturally incorporate your keywords into your content.
• Stay on topic.Good quality content that provides advice related to a headline will perform better.

Social networks and content marketing

Once you have the content, it's time to publish it.social media—Facebook,LinkedIn,YouTube,Gore, Average,Instagram,and another— is a proven and easy way to promote your content. You write a post and a link to your content and that's it! People are engaged.

You can do it through 3 steps:

1. Focus on high potential channels.The best social media outlets for you are the ones your audience frequents. Consider large, popular channels, as well as smaller, industry-focused channels that are likely to connect you with good prospects. Ask your audience which channels they prefer and create a manageable list based on their preferences.
2. Create your copy to fit the channel.Each social media channel has a level of professionalism versus fun, an accepted voice, and other details of its own. Before writing posts for a channel, spend some time reviewing the posts to familiarize yourself with these details. Then, give your posts some spirit of your own company.
3. Try and modify your approach.Again promotion on social mediathe effort involves trial and error. Track responses from multiple channels for quantity and quality. Fewer high-potential engagements can mean a placement is a good fit, as opposed to a series of clicks that never convert to an audience.

To learn more about how Mailchimp can help you with your social media strategy and how to create asocial media calendarTake a look at the comparison of ourfree social media management toolsagainst others

Put content to work for your business

Leave your experience andunique valueshine by creating content that attracts, engages and sells. With a little planning and systematic content marketing, you can reach the right people and targets.brand loyalty.

Mailchimp can help you take your online content marketing strategy to the next level, allowing you to create optimized content for social media, your website, and youremail marketing campaigns. Use our tools to create branded content, including landing pages and paid ads, that can inform your customers about your offers and promotions. with yourselfbrand style guide, you can startbuild a brand identityand let your business show customers your outstanding personality.