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This month’s tip is about something that has quickly become one of the most important parts of any successful business — content!
Content marketing isn’t some sort of digital hippy-dippiness, it’s an integral part of almost every type of business in this era of technology.
The internet makes it easy to produce, distribute and market your content so long as you have a stable source of income.
You can create your content at night or during weekends while working on another career (or even second job) so long as it does not interfere with your daily responsibilities.
Digital marketers are constantly producing content to promote their brands and services so there are plenty of opportunities for new writers to get involved and contribute to the team.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is simply referring to all of the different ways that you can spread your brand message to various audiences through online media. These include things like social media sites, YouTube channels, blogs, etc.
It also includes more promotional modes such as paid advertisements or sponsored posts. Beyond just sharing information, digital marketing strategies often involve creating articles, videos or graphics to attract attention and grow audience engagement.
Why is content important?
If you look back at some of the biggest success stories in corporate America, you will find that they feature lots of content.
A few years ago, digital marketing was mostly focused on finding ways to get people to visit your website or use your app. These are referred to as engagement strategies because they focus more on getting people to interact with you instead of creating an environment where their interaction with you is natural- this is how most of us communicate so it’s not very motivating for customers!
These types of online campaigns can be done via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, paid search advertisements on Google and other major search engines, and influencer marketing (which we will talk about later).
But what if I told you that there were even better ways to market your product through technology? Ways to promote your business that don’t involve using pictures of cats or paying to put ads in front of people’s eyes?
That’s right – these new technologies let you create content anywhere at any time, which means you could do it before anyone else and still hold up your head high as the top dog. And thanks to algorithms that reward content that engages and intrigues its readers, you no longer have to worry about what kind of content the reader wants to consume either. Your job as a marketer now is to come up with something engaging, relevant, and fun enough to keep them coming back.
Speaking as someone who has their own business, digital marketing includes all sorts of things! You can run your website or business without doing any type of online marketing at all. It is also possible to not do much beyond that.
But this isn’t necessarily going to set you up for success. Online marketing doesn’t stop there, however. There are many other ways to market your business outside of just creating content on your site and posting about it on social media sites.
While not every business has the budget to invest in digital marketing, staying active with your email list is one of the most cost-effective ways to market your company.
Email is a powerful tool that allows you to stay in touch with your customers, promote products or services, announce upcoming events, and more.
By offering valuable content that your audience will want to read, you can attract new followers who may purchase something from you at some later date.
The easiest way to begin investing in email marketing is by starting a free account at Mailchimp. You can pick any domain name and start creating messages for online sales or promotional announcements.
Another option is AWeber, which does not require you to have your own domain name. You can easily manage your accounts through their website as well.
So, social media is the act of creating content that encourages your followers or watchers of a platform to interact with you, share information about yourself, and promote your products and services.
The most common way to do this is by posting pictures and/or videos along with some kind of a caption that implies promotion or an ask for a review or conversation.
Interacting in the comments section of these posts is another good way to gain exposure as well as feedback from other people who may find what you posted helpful.
That’s not all! By interacting with others, you’re also giving them more opportunities to connect with the brands they like so it's a win-win situation.
Running a giveaway on Instagram or Facebook is another way to use social media to create content and boost engagement. People love free things so why not give them away and earn some rewards for it?
Infographics are very informational and rich graphics that can convey important messages quickly. They are perfect for digital marketers because they are designed to attract attention and read.
Their style is simple, bold, and engaging which makes them great canvas items for adding visuals to different blogs and websites.
These days, everyone has access to a smartphone so using this device to take pictures and/or video and editing software to make images and diagrams really doesn’t cost much anymore.
A growing number of brands are creating engaging YouTube videos to promote their products and services. With the right content, your video can attract new followers, increase audience engagement, and improve overall follower-to-brand awareness.
Most people enjoy watching other people spend time talking about things that interest them. This is why most large companies have social media accounts – they’re just like having a TV show with lots of hungry eyes listening for more information.
By producing your own audio/visual messages, you give yourself a similar platform. More importantly, you get to control the message and tone you want to convey to your audience.
There are several ways to use video marketing in promoting your business. For example, you could make a quick introductory clip announcing an upcoming webinar or event, conduct interviews or discussions with key individuals around your field, create product demo reviews, do in depth analyses and comparisons, etc.
The length of each piece doesn't matter as long as everyone involved enjoys what they watch. Heck, you don't even need fancy filming equipment to produce quality content!
Many professionals film testimonials and client clips using only their smartphone or basic camera device with good sound recording capabilities. Others hire professional documentary filmmakers to help them tell their story.
What matters most is that you're passionate about what you're discussing and you're clearly able to articulate it well.
Starting your own business is always a great way to go, but owning a successful website requires more than just knowing how to use Photoshop or InDesign. It takes organization, communication, and content creation.
Running a successful website means writing about things that people are interested in and creating quality content you are passionate about. By doing these three things, your online presence will grow in size and influence!
Blogging can also be a very profitable way to spend your time. Even though most of us now have access to a computer with an internet connection, not everyone owns a smartphone so it’s better to focus on making yours accessible to search engines and the web.
And while running a site isn’t for every person, anyone can start writing blogs and incorporating SEO into their game. All it takes is some practice and learning from others who have already done it.
Writing is a powerful tool to use in marketing. A well-written article or piece of content will influence others whether it’s for social media, print materials, YouTube, or whatever your medium may be.
Content should aim to inspire, inform, motivate, and/or entertain. It can be about anything!
Writing an article or series of articles takes time. You have to gather enough material first so that you don’t have to work too hard to create good writing.
Your whole team could be involved in creating content – writers, editors, marketers, designers, etc. There are many ways to get inspiration and ideas for content.
You can do some research and finding relevant information, talking with people around you, and reading books and magazines can all help.
Held by both individuals and companies, blogs are a great way to start producing your own content. Not only can you pick any topic, there are free blogging platforms like Blogger where you can easily publish posts without having to pay monthly fees.
There are also lots of other sites and apps that can help you find new audiences to read what you write and provide you with more opportunities to make money online.
As we discussed earlier, digital marketing is all about telling people who you are and what you have to offer. Yours comes down to creating content that engages with your audience and advertises for your products or services.
Your style as a business person will shape how others perceive you. How you dress says a lot about who you are as well as what kind of person you like to be around.
The way you communicate sets up expectations for how you talk and behave, so choose your words carefully and consistently. When it comes to advertising online, consistency is key!
When someone does an internet search, they look through different websites for information. If yours looks more professional than the rest, chances are people will come back to yours. If yours doesn’t look very polished, this can hurt your business.
Running a website is expensive, which is why most people don’t actually do it themselves. Hiring professionals to help you design and update your site can cost a few hundred dollars per month.
If you want to get into web hosting, designing your own site, or even starting an e-commerce store, these costs can add up quickly. It’s important to know where to spend money to improve your business and keep up with current trends.
