What is Content Marketing? Why It Still Matters in 2018

By: Boris_Dzhingarov

Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to build your brand. Unlike interruption marketing, which used to be the norm before the internet, content marketing wins people over.  Many well-known marketers now believe that content marketing isn’t something you should do, but something you must do. It isn’t a nice afterthought but a necessity. 

By satisfying your audience’s need to learn more about their favorite subject, you develop a reputation as a trusted source of high-quality information. And, of course, people are more likely to buy from you once they get to know, like, and trust you.  

Content marketing helps you reach out and connect with your readers. Instead of pushing the narrative with online and offline advertising, you build rapport by sharing meaningful ideas with them. Since content marketing is highly-effective, let's look at some ways to consistently create great content.

Use a Content Management System 

There are, of course, many ways to manage your content, ranging from WordPress to Drupal. To benefit from the latest technology, it might be advantageous to use the Zesty platform that makes it easy to access and publish your content on many websites and multiple apps from a single location.

Do Your Research to Build Credibility  

Anyone can write something based on what they already know, but it takes a little more effort to research what you plan to say.  

For one thing, you might discover that your ideas are a little outdated, or, worse still, that they are inaccurate. Using outdated or inaccurate information will, of course, reduce your credibility. While it’s impossible for anyone to keep pace with the explosion of knowledge, your chances of being a little more relevant or accurate will increase if you research what you are planning to say. 

Another benefit of research is that you might stumble upon new ideas that will make your content much more interesting. In fact, introducing unique, new ideas might spark off a whole new train of thought and start an interesting discussion on your blog. 

Finally, readers can tell the difference between a researched piece and an off-the-cuff piece and will appreciate the extra effort you put into diving deeper into the topic.  

When it comes to research, you don’t necessarily have to just rely on Google. For more in-depth articles or blog posts, consider the value of using classical books in your field from library research or using primary sources of studies from Google Scholar. 

Study the Art of Writing   

It might seem a waste of time to study how to write well if you’re already a seasoned writer with years of experience penning blog posts, articles, and books. After all, you know how it’s done.  

You might argue that you already know how to come up with great titles, how to start with a great lead, how to develop your main argument, and how to wrap up everything with a succinct conclusion.  

But here’s the thing: all great artists are perpetual learners, and they are always looking for new ways to improve their craft. And writing, of course, is as much an art as painting or sculptor, regardless of whether you write fiction or non-fiction. 

You never know what new trick you might learn after you read books on writing by famous authors; perhaps a rhetorical device like anaphora or epiphora or hypophora to make your writing much more engaging for your readers. 

As an example of how studying what you know fairly well can provide great benefits, take a moment to reflect on the speeches and writings of Sir Winston Churchill. He was an avid student of language, and one of the reasons for his stirring speeches, speeches that emboldened the British to fight off the Nazi invasion during the Second World War, was his understanding of rhetoric and his preference for shorter Anglo-Saxon words over longer Latinized words. 

Language is complex and there is always more to learn to help improve your self-expression. So it’s worth making it a practice to consistently improve how well you write. 

In conclusion, when you develop online content—through a video-sharing website or on a blog—you focus on building a relationship with your audience. By establishing clear marketing goals and then creating content to support it, you will effectively build your brand over time. And, of course, using cloud-based tools will make the process that much easier.

By Boris Dzhingarov

© 2018 Copyright Boris Dzhingarov - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.