If you have not yet implemented a digital marketing strategy for your business, then you are missing out on many opportunities.
It is true that “online” marketing can seem intimidating and complicated. This can discourage even the most determined entrepreneurs from putting an online marketing plan in place. So that is the purpose of this article: to examine online marketing closely and bring it back to basics. And for that, we created a series of articles to break down long-term strategies, so as not to get lost in tips that may not last very long.
Content Marketing
Content is the backbone of the internet. If you think about it, almost everything you can find online is content: video, article, blog, infographic, etc.
Here is a definition of content marketing: a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, social media posts) that does not directly promote a brand but aims to stimulate interest in products and services.
Content marketing is one of the most important marketing strategies because, without it, many other strategies would not exist (or would not be effective).
Here are the two main reasons why content is beneficial for almost all businesses:
- Content educates prospects about your product or service. Why would someone want to pay for something if they do not know what they are buying? Content fills the gap.
- Content allows you to create the opportunity to become a leader in your market. To do this, you need excellent visibility and the ability to open several channels to access your offer.
1. Blogging
One of the simplest ways to stay in touch with your prospects and customers is to have a brand blog and a company newsletter.
This blog must be related to your area of expertise. Its ultimate goal is to attract the visitor into your sales cycle by showing, for example, how innovative, useful, etc. your product is; this will help marketers.
2. Creating and promoting “Linkbait” or “link bait”
“Linkbait” is a form of content specifically designed to attract links. It is something valuable and unique (if given the opportunity) that any influencer or blogger will be eager to use. These links also help improve visibility and ranking in search engines. Joshua Hardwick, Head of Content ahrefs.com
It can take any form of content – video, infographic, guide, article, blog, presentation, etc. – but, as mentioned earlier, the primary goal is to attract “backlinks” or incoming links. In concrete terms, these are hyperlinks that point from site X to site Y.
Why do this? Attracting inbound links will make it possible to:
- Generate traffic to your site (from the link placed on another site),
- Improve your ranking in search engines. And this, in turn, will bring more traffic to your site.
3. Guest posting or creating “guest content”
Posting means publishing content on a website other than your own.
Some good reasons to use this tactic:
- It can generate traffic to your site,
- You can create links – from the post – to content on your site,
- Guest posting can lead new prospects to discover you,
- By choosing publishing sites carefully, it will give you great exposure.
4. Creating & promoting video content
Using video as a means of promoting your business online is a very good solution. Not so sure? See for yourself !
You can go look on YouTube at examples of company channels in order to analyze the content and the type of promotion carried out in connection with the types of products or services you offer. Do not expect to get an audience of a million views, but it is a good way to control your communication.
5. Hosting & participating in webinars
A webinar is a conference, round table, or mini-course offered online on the internet. It is first delivered live, and can then be watched in replay.
They can prove very useful, especially if you sell a digital product or service.
6. RSS feed
The RSS feed is a simple and automatic way to stay informed about new content on a website, without having to visit it. It lists the information to be distributed and is kept up to date in order to deliver all the new content from a website.
7. Podcasts
Content does not necessarily need to be visual to be effective. A podcast is an audio content format that is also a good way to build and nurture your audience.
There are two main strategies when choosing to broadcast podcasts:
- Create your own podcast broadcast,
- Publish through someone else’s podcasts.
Both strategies can prove very effective for marketing your business online and building meaningful relationships with your audience.
