When it comes to generating traffic for your website, there are typically two types of traffic: paid or free.
The most common forms of paid traffic tend to be Google ads and Facebook ads. While other platforms exist, Google and Facebook are the most popular options.
On the other hand, free traffic can take several forms such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and content marketing. In this post, we will go over what content marketing is along with tips for an effective content marketing plan.
To begin with, what exactly is content marketing? According to Lexico, it is:
“A type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.“
To put it another way: it’s all about using content to spread the word about you and your brand. This content could be written (think blogs), visual (think social media posts), video (think YouTube), or audio (think podcasting).
Here we’ll cover the top three forms of content marketing: video, social media, and blogging.
Video
Without a doubt, using video in your overall online business can help bring in more traffic and increase conversions. Video is also very effective in building that know, like, and trust factor with your prospects.
I discuss effective video use in my other blog post here: How to Use Online Video to Your Advantage.
Here’s a brief YouTube video that also goes over more tips on video marketing:
Bottom line: video content needs to be part of your overall business strategy.
Social Media
When it comes to creating social media content, you have to remember that it’s all about being social. If you come across as salesy or spammy, then you will turn away your audience.
However, if you lead with value then you’ll attract more prospects and customers.
Each social media platform has a different type of audience. For instance, while people go to Facebook to socialize and share what’s going on in their personal world, people will go to LinkedIn to display a more professional side and maybe look for another job.
Here’s a chart from Online Marketing Solutions that goes over the most common social media platforms:
When done well, social media can be a great source for new leads and (eventually) paying customers.
Blog
Maintaining a blog on your main website can be a great way to bring in more search engine traffic as well as add value to your audience. The main trick is to be consistent with updating your blog (whether it’s once a week or once a month).
I discuss effective blogging in my other post: How Do I Create a Good Blog?
Bottom line: it’s all serving your audience and delivering value.
Putting It All Together
Now you are familiar with the most common forms of content marketing: video, social media, and blogging.
Now that we know what content marketing is, how do we create an effective plan?
Here are my top 5 tips:
- Create a content calendar
- Post consistently
- Know your audience
- Lead with value
- Keep track of your efforts
There is obviously a lot more that goes into creating an effective content marketing plan. For more tips and guidance, I encourage you to read this post from Online Marketing Solutions: Digital Branding and Brand Engagement – Content Marketing.
In the grand scheme of things: content marketing is all about using valuable content to connect with your audience and build that know, like, and trust factor. After they know, like, and trust you, they are much more likely to do business with you.
Would you like to learn more about building that know, like, and trust factor with your audience? Then I encourage you to check out my free Quick Start Guide to Email Marketing:
