How to Use Content Marketing

Let's talk content marketing! I want to give you my 3 step strategy for using content marketing to attract customers.

Before I jump into the strategy, I’d like to overview how content marketing is to be used, and the primary functions of content marketing compared to other forms of marketing.

By definition, content marketing 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.

The goal in content marketing is to create valuable resources, such as blogs, YouTube videos, or podcasts, that an established target audience wants to see and consume.

This content must be valuable, and it must be distributed consistently, or it won’t be effective. This content should stimulate interest in what you do, eliminating the need for you to directly say “Hey hey here’s my sale buy my products NOW!”

Simply stated, we create content and use it to market our products and services in a way that doesn’t feel salesy. Instead, we build relationships with our audience over time, increasing trust, to eventually sell. Before I jump into the strategy I want you to know 3 things about content marketing:

• It’s not the way to make quick money.

• It takes much more time and effort to get a sale using this method than other forms of marketing, but the work pays off big time in the end.

• You have to give value first in order to make any money!

Ok, so now that we’re on the same page about what content marketing is, and why we use it, let’s jump into how we actually go about implementing this marketing strategy. This is my 3 step content marketing strategy that I use for my business.

1. Figure out who your target audience is. This is important because in order for content marketing to work, your core messages need to align with what your audience actually wants to see and consume.

Content marketing will never work if you create content that your audience doesn’t want to see. You have to define who you want to attract, and then you have to figure out what their needs and motivations are. In order to do this you have to get crystal clear about who your ideal customer is.

I call this process, creating an ideal client profile. We want to get to know our ideal client so well that we create content that makes them feel like we are speaking directly to them. Knowing your target audience well will help you more effectively tailor content to who you’re looking to reach. Here are some examples of demographics you may want to learn about your target audience:

• Age

• Personality

• Needs

• Challenges

• Values

• Gender

• Lifestyle

Grab a sheet of paper and write down the demographic information that represents your ideal customer. Find a photo of the person you are writing for. Having a visual of whom you are writing for will help you to create content that speaks directly to that target customer. Have you ever read an inspirational social media post that seemed like it was written just for you? That is content marketing in action!

The purpose of this ideal client profile exercise is to understand the difference between what you do, and what you need to talk about. One mistake early stage entrepreneurs make is sharing content that is important to them that represents what they do, as opposed to sharing content that their audience actually wants to consume.

2. Decide what content you want to create, and how you plan to distribute it. Think about what platforms your audience is already familiar with. Think about the age demographic of your audience to determine where they "hang out." You want to create content that provides valuable information related to your business. For example, if you sell hair products, you may create YouTube video content to share hair tutorials featuring your products. Here are some platforms commonly used to distribute content:

• YouTube

• Podcasting

• Blog

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Email blasts

Remember the focus on content is to provide VALUE not to SELL. It is typically effective to provide advice, tutorials, or something beneficial your audience can take away from you besides what your products or services are.

3. Form a community around what you do. Build a tribe. By building a tribe, you create a loyal fan base of support. But, you can’t make the tribe all about you. It needs to be tailored to the interests of your target audience.

You can create a tribe online:

• Facebook groups

• LinkedIn groups

• Instagram groups

You can create a tribe offline:

• Text groups

• In-person networking groups

When you build a tribe, research suggests that you eventually spend less money on marketing, because your tribe promotes your business from within, spreading word of mouth.

I hope these tips help you in your journey as an entrepreneur. If you haven’t yet, go ahead and subscribe to the With Purpose Podcast so you get a notification when every new episode is released.

I have a special give for you all, and that is a FREE marketing ebook, available on my website. Visit http://www.niawithpurpose.com/podcast, and subscribe to my email list to download your FREE marketing ebook.

I hope you have a great week, and continue to move onward, upward, and forward. I will be back next week with more content. Until next time!