How to Rank Higher on Google in 2023

Content Marketing Challenges

Content marketing can be a complex exercise that requires several knowledge resources such as:

• Subject expertise at an authority level
• Professional level writing skills to keep readers engaged
• Search engine marketing skills
• Content marketing management to identify subjects of interest, search volumes and keyword identification

Content marketing practice involves a team with diverse skills and this is a sought after discipline in today’s search driven business world.

Content Marketing Strategies

Unlike conventional marketing, content marketing is a strategic approach, which is focused on creating and sharing valuable content to attract customers. Instead of advertising your products directly, you will be providing relevant content to your potential customers to help them understand how you can provide value to them. The keyword here is “value”.

Relevant and accurate industry data is imperative in all content marketing exercises. Data unveils target audience volumes, search traffic and business potential for a certain subject. Some 70% of business executives claim data-driven content marketing is the primary element of their marketing efforts.

Content marketing is a long-term plan, which stresses on building a solid relationship with your customers by providing them relevant content on a regular basis. It shows that you really care about your customers. Put simply, in a world that is full of noise, the one who has the bigger microphone wins. Content marketing, although not too loud like traditional marketing, is subtle and makes people listen.

There are, however, many kinds of content marketing. But let’s focus on a few that are tried and tested and work well, no matter your business domain.

eBooks and Whitepapers

eBooks are an incredible way to provide long-form content to your customers. You can chalk out everything about your business in a detailed manner. Again, the keyword is “value”. It’s important to understand that your eBook shouldn’t be a 10-page advertisement. It should provide useful and relevant information about your business, the services you provide, and how customers can benefit from them. It is not about selling, it is not about advertising; it’s about building a rapport with your target audience and building trust. eBooks are also a great way to collect information about your customers: request them to provide some basic information about themselves like name and email address in exchange for a free eBook.

There isn’t much difference between an eBook and a whitepaper, except for the audience each format targets. While an eBook is a lengthy, extended guidebook on a particular topic, a whitepaper is a kind of academic report. A whitepaper is information-rich and targets audience who are experts in the subject.

Infographics

Infographics, as the name suggests, is a visual representation of information about a particular subject. Infographics are great to educate your audience through pictures and images. This type of visual content marketing helps your customers visualize information like statistics, graphs, and figures in a sophisticated way. You can say a lot with so little and this is especially useful for those who prefer not to spend much time poring over lengthy content. You should, however, have a clear understanding as to what topics are best suited for this particular format.

Social Media Marketing

Using Social Media to promote your business is not a secret anymore. Well, it never was. It just took some time for people to understand its true potential, is all. Social Media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter help business enterprises reach new people, build and nurture relationships with customers, and moreover, improve their brand’s visibility. The content you post on Social Media plays a vital role in how your business engages both new and existing customers.

Social Media channels help you discover new leads and alert customers to new products and sales. All true. But you should use the channels effectively. Meaning, you should know that different platforms cater to different kinds of people. If your stories and posts are all visual, Instagram works best. If it’s just a few words you want to say and post some links to videos and images, Twitter is your go-to channel. Read Social Media Marketing to know more about optimizing Social Media to its fullest extent.