Content Marketing – You Might Be Doing It Wrong

In today’s world, it’s vital to have an online presence. Yes, there are plenty of bricks and mortar businesses out there that have survived for years without one. However, with the reliance on smartphones for information, and the internet in general, these old-fashioned businesses are dwindling.

You need an online presence. Bottom line. And, in order to have an online presence, you need quality content on your website – regardless of what your remit is. Now, we can all have different opinions on what quality content is. Most digital marketers go down the route of looking at keyword data and search trends. And this is great. You should absolutely be doing this. However, many businesses tend to forget one source when creating a content plan – their audience.

Your audience is made up of existing and potential customers. These are the people that you need to be engaging with. One of Google’s main focuses is user experience. The better user experience you’re giving, the better your website is going to perform.

And the content you’re producing should be aimed at your customers, giving them the best user experience possible. Yes, take search trends and keyword data into account, but, you must always go that one step further and mould your content strategy around your customers’ interests and needs.

Using data to steer your content, as discussed already, is a must. However, if you’re a company that provides industrial cleaning equipment, for example, don’t write about the ‘Best Performing Industrial Vacuum Parts.’ – who is going to read that? Yes. It probably crosses off a lot of keyword and trend boxes, but, are your customers going to be drawn in by it?

Instead, why not write something that is going to draw them in? Maybe something along the lines of ‘The Top 17 Ways of Keeping Your Offices Spotless.’ (Pro tip – people love lists! Particularly odd-numbered lists.)

The title itself is already more enticing as it’s telling the reader that they’re going to learn something if they read it. You’ve done the research beforehand, so you know that this is an interest of this particular customer, and there is still plenty of room to include your data.

You’ve already got all the information you need, you just need to position it completely for your customers and wider audience. This kind of content provides so much value to a reader – the kind of value that Google both implores and rewards.

The best kind of content marketing strategy used by digital experts is both data-driven and customer facing. That’s the secret.

Data driven content is great and will provide value to both you and your audience, but, to stand out from the crowd, you really need to show an in-depth understanding of your customer base. You need to convince them that you’re the best choice over the next guy. And this is easier than you think.

If you have done the necessary research on keywords, trends etc. you’re already getting there. Pair this with what you know about your audience – what your customers want. If you do this, it’s only going to be beneficial for both you and your customers. And that’s what we’re all aiming for.