Creating content on a regular basis consumes time and resources. Sometimes it feels like you’re just churning out content for the sake of it, and when you do share it, you may wonder if anyone even appreciates it.
Well, I’ve got news for you: you don’t have to create all the content you share. In fact, you can even re-share the content you already published! A content marketing strategy is especially useful at times when you aren’t creating new content, or when your industry takes an unexpected turn.
What Is Content Marketing?
A content marketing strategy consists of sharing posts, images, articles, videos, infographics, and other media from a variety of sources that provide value to your audience.
We often use social media to promote our products and services. But nowadays, customers want more than just a constant sales pitch. As a brand, you need to prove yourself relevant to their lives.
There are two aspects to content marketing: content creation and content curation.
Content creation includes anything that you produce internally. That could be:
- A blog you publish on your website
- An infographic you design
- A video you create to promote a new product
Content curation, on the other hand, includes anything you don’t product internally, but is still relevant to your brand, audience, or industry. That can include:
- A study relevant to your product
- A meme about current events or pop culture
- A viral video that relates to your industry
When possible, create as much content as you can, and share it over a period of time. Because there will come a time when your team has an unexpected deadline, or a sudden crisis changes your daily routine and you have to stop operations. And that’s where content curation is extremely helpful.
Share Content from Other Sources
Doing all the work yourself is…well, a lot of work! Remember that other people create useful content, too. And besides, sometimes it’s a bit boring to talk about yourself all the time.
Industry News
Whether you offer B2B or B2C services (or both), your audience is probably not an expert in your industry. And while you may tell them all the benefits of using your product, you can also establish yourself as a knowledgeable source by sharing external information about your industry.
For example, a report may come out about why pickle juice is good for your health. As a pickle manufacturer, you don’t have to do that research, but sharing the report can accomplish two things:
- It offers evidence to support your product
- It shows that you stay current with industry news
By educating your audience, you can establish yourself as a reputable source for information without having to do all the research yourself. As a result, your company can earn credibility and trustworthiness.
Sharing information from various sources and partners can also build relationships with other brands. And down the line, those seemingly small efforts to help other businesses can turn into fruitful partnerships.
Entertainment
Sometimes it’s fun to throw your audience a curve ball! Consider sharing posts or articles that have nothing to do with your company. By sharing news and content that isn’t directly related to your brand, your customers can have a better understanding of your values.
For example, most of Wildfang’s Facebook content consists of articles, photos, stories, and videos that don’t feature their brand at all. Instead, their brand’s voice is clearly shaped by this content, and as a result, they can connect with their followers better.
It may feel counter-intuitive to promote something that isn’t about you. But it can increase engagement on your social channels, which means that, when you share content that you have created, it’s more likely to appear in your audience’s newsfeed.
Sharing content that you didn’t create also adds some dimension to your brand voice. Your social media channels can be a dull experience if all you talk about is your product. By adding some diversity to your posts, your audience can see that there’s a human behind the brand.
It also lets customers know that making the sale isn’t always your top priority. Sometimes it’s OK simply to entertain.
Share (and Update) Top Performing Content
Good content will always be relevant, even after its publish date. So if you’re starved for ideas, or need to fill in your content calendar, look back at your archives!
Maybe you have an article that consistently brings traffic to your website. And while people may be finding it via Google or other sources, it can’t hurt to give it a little push on your own social media channels.
But maybe that article was published a few years ago. Consider updating it with any new or relevant information. It’s not entirely new content – just a bit refreshed.
There may also be content that performs well during certain times. For example, if you’ve written an article about good study habits, consider re-sharing it around exam time, rather than creating a brand new post.
Share Evergreen (Cornerstone) Content
You probably have some articles, posts, photos, or videos that really define who you are and what you do. Consider sharing those every once in a while!
Evergreen content (also known as cornerstone content) is good to share at any time. For example, if you’re an investment firm, how to diversify investment portfolios is always relevant, useful information.
It should also be some of the strongest content on your website. In fact, there’s a good chance that some of your cornerstone posts are also your top performing content.
Over time, you gain new followers, and maybe they haven’t seen that content yet. It’s a great way to introduce your new followers to your brand and your mission – or even re-introduce old followers! Maybe your veteran followers forgot about your services, or they weren’t relevant to their circumstances at the time.
A Content Marketing Strategy Is More Than Creation
There’s no magic formula or guarantee to making things go viral. But if you share content that your audience finds valuable, then they’ll likely share it with their friends, who will share it with their friends, and so on.
Establish yourself as a source of valuable content. If you offer value to your audience, you won’t stop being relevant.
Do you need a content marketing strategy? Learn more about my marketing services, or just drop me a line to get started!
This post took 2.85 hours to write, 0.77 hours to create graphics, and 0.5 hours to create social media marketing posts