Chances are, you’re using content marketing for business to supplement your other marketing strategies. But the question is, are you doing it right? Are you creating enough quality content? Are you distributing it the right way? Have you been delivering an experience for your audience? Whether you’re new to the marketing game or just in need of a refresher, here are a few critical dos and don’ts (with a few maybes) on the topic:
Content Marketing For Business: 10 Tips
1. DO Start with Keywords in Mind
Construct quality content with your ideal customer in mind, including their needs, behaviors, intentions and concerns. And then, sharpen your focus with keywords (long-tail keywords if possible) to launch a content calendar and strategize from there.
2. DON’T Post…Just to Post
Just because you’ve heard that you need to have a steady schedule for your business blog doesn’t mean you should push more content just for the sake of pushing content. Don’t get us wrong, you do need a steady schedule, but you also want your customers to feel invested in what they’re reading. Their time is valuable. Don’t waste it with sub-par content.
3. Maybe Consider Outsourcing Your Blog
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of keeping up with a consistent publishing schedule? Consider hiring a professional content marketing service (like Post Café). Ok, shameless plug, but it really makes a lot of sense for businesses so they can spend more time on other things like generating business.
Our in-house copywriters know how to strategically position your content so you shine like a trusted expert in your field, we post it right to your social media account and even give you the credit right on the article. Find out more about Post Café and how it can help your business thrive online.
4. DO Entice Them with a Catchy Headline
In order to convince your customers to click on your post, you need to speak their language. Get creative with your social media posts, blog titles and email subject lines to pique the buyer’s interest. Entice them with a snapshot of what they can expect without giving away the story or resorting to clickbait headlines that don’t deliver.
5. DON’T Clickbait
Clickbait headlines tend to over-promise and under-deliver (ex, “You won’t believe what happens next”). It’s a risk you shouldn’t take because manipulating your audience by creating a lot of hype (without delivering) will only leave you with an unsatisfied and untrusting customer.
6. Maybe Consider a Happy-Medium
Instead of clickbait, create a magnetic headline that sparks intrigue and draws your audience in with suspense. Focus on how your content will benefit your readers’ and their goals. Then maybe test out a few different headlines to see which one works best.
7. DO Answer the Question
Whatever you decide on for your headline, make sure your content is unmistakably clear on what your audience gains by clicking on your post and affirms their decision to invest time in reading your content. You want your content to answer their questions before they even have a chance to ask, be there for them at the right micro-moment and capture a sale in the process.
8. DO Include a Call-To-Action
Content marketing is all about consistently educating, inspiring and entertaining your audience. But the trick to get the next click is a call-to-action; your prospective clients still need to be told what to do. Once you get them to click on your blog, you still need them to click on the next step. Consider adding something as simple as a sentence with a call-to-action including, “contact us to learn more,” to effectively guide buyers what to do next.
9. DON’T Be Overly Promotional
Don’t confuse content marketing and advertising. Sure, you need to sell your service and/or product, but if you’re overly promotional, you’ll end up turning off prospects (as well as current customers). Let’s face it, at the end of the day, your customers are tired of being sold to. Add too much promotional branded content and it will backfire on you and push them away.
10. DO Remember One Thing
If you remember nothing else from this article, let it be this: The most important rule of content marketing for business is to deliver an exceptional experience for your audience.
Set the bar high in your headline and you better fulfill their expectations in the content. With the help of the experts at Post Café, it’s easy to establish a consistent presence with all the content marketing you need for business. We write all the trending articles and post them directly to your social media accounts – so you don’t have to. Call us at 732-218-9377 to learn more today.
