Businesses should ensure that their content marketing efforts are competitive in 2023, as it is one of the most effective forms of marketing available.
The ever-changing landscape of content marketing poses a challenge in predicting what lies ahead for 2023. Marketing professionals and business owners must assess their content marketing strategies to ensure they are generating the appropriate content that connects with potential customers.
In order to maximize their content marketing efforts, businesses can gain greater advantage by comprehending the advantages of content marketing, the leading forms of content marketing for the year, and practical suggestions for enhancing their content marketing this year. Within this guide for 2023, you will acquire comprehensive knowledge about content marketing, enabling you to assess your achievements and pinpoint prospects for enhancement.
What is content marketing
Content marketing is a type of inbound marketing strategy that relies on valuable and relevant digital assets, such as text, images, and video, to attract and retain an explicitly defined audience. This approach involves delivering value to a business’s audience through entertaining, educational, or informative content.
Most businesses utilize multiple forms of content, including written, audio, video, and image, in order to engage with their audiences across platforms such as social media, websites, and advertisements.
Content marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on prioritizing the customer in a brand’s messaging. Instead of bombarding customers with advertising-heavy messaging, content marketing offers them valuable content and keeps them engaged throughout their customer journey.
Content marketing involves more than simply promoting a product to a potential customer. Instead, it entails sharing relevant information and guiding the customer through the various stages from awareness to decision-making. This type of marketing includes offering useful content such as instructional guides or narrative advertisements that genuinely benefit the consumer.
Why is content marketing important
The world is experiencing a shift where customers are becoming weary of receiving advertisements. Consumers are overwhelmed with information to the extent that it becomes mere background noise. Content marketing assists businesses in combating this noise by discreetly showcasing their products or services through valuable and superior content.
Content marketing is advantageous as it has the capability to:
- Educate leads and prospects about your product and services. Content marketing allows businesses to promote themselves while offering tangible value to an interested audience, which can increase brand awareness and engagement. At the same time, businesses can subtly promote their products and services, educating more people about their offerings.
- Increase conversions. Content marketing works because it helps brands show that they care about and understand customer needs, which can translate into higher conversion rates.
- Build relationships with customers. Few people are ready to buy something when they first learn about your business. Content marketing makes it possible to build relationships and deepen trust with your audience, which can encourage them to eventually convert.
- Demonstrate how your product or service solves a pain point. With a solid content marketing plan, you can create content tailored to each customer’s pain points. Blog posts, demo videos, and customer testimonials make it easier for businesses to offer in-depth explanations of how their products or services help customers.
- Increase visibility. Content marketing connects your business with more potential customers while making your business more renowned in your industry. Businesses can get the word out about their brand by creating consistent, high-quality content that generates more traffic from search engines.
- Improve authority. Authority is the key to becoming an industry leader and increasing sales. Build trust by creating helpful, high-quality content that positions your business as a thought leader in your sector.
- Foster loyalty. Regularly sharing high-quality, compelling content makes it possible for businesses like yours to deepen relationships with customers. Over time, this can ultimately boost the loyalty these customers feel toward your brand.
Content marketing has been around for a while and is showing no signs of slowing down. During the pandemic, there was a 207% increase in content usage, and this trend is likely to continue in 2023. In fact, 55% of marketers intend to increase the frequency of their content posting, while 53% plan to enhance the quality of their content in 2023. Ultimately, the key is to select the appropriate combination of content marketing media that will attract more attention.
How content marketing works
Content marketing can be utilized by your business to draw in leads, present a persuasive argument for your product or service during the research phase of the buying process, and ultimately clinch sales.
To simplify the process, you just need to deliver the appropriate content at each stage of the sales cycle – starting from awareness, then consideration, and finally leading to purchase.
Companies utilize content marketing at every stage of the sales cycle to effectively engage and make sales.
Awareness stage
In the initial stage of the sales process, it is important to direct your content towards the primary concerns of your target audience. By addressing their problems, difficulties, and inquiries, you enhance your chances of connecting with them effectively. During the awareness stage, your content should primarily aim to educate and provide helpful advice. It is advisable to reserve your sales tactics for the consideration and closing stages.
Examples of the most suitable content for this stage consist of articles, blog posts, e-books, videos, and newsletters.
- A restaurant writes a blog post about how to plan a menu for a graduation party in the spring.
- A bike touring company creates a short video on the topic “3 Ways to Choose the Right Bike Trip.”
- An architecture firm creates an e-book called “Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect.”
Consideration stage
During the consideration stage, content should provide a combination of informative details and promotional material. It should enlighten the reader on the desirable attributes or functionalities to consider, as well as demonstrate how different characteristics cater to their requirements. Naturally, your content should prioritize showcasing the offerings of your business.
Good options for content at this stage encompass case studies, articles providing instructions, instructional videos, and checklists or worksheets. For instance:
- A cloud-based phone system company creates a checklist entitled “8 Ways to Improve Your Phone Customer Service” that details the features and functions that make great customer service possible.
- A landscaping company creates case studies about “The Biggest Mistakes Most People Make When They Hire a Landscaper.”
- A catering company features case studies of successful events with a focus on the benefits they offer, such as “How to Accommodate Food Allergies at Your Next Event,” or “How to Ensure Your Caterer Uses Sustainable Practices.”
Closing stage
During the stage when a prospect is near the point of purchase, content marketing holds significance. It is possible to shift the focus towards sales at this juncture, but it remains essential to consistently emphasize why your offerings are the superior option, rather than solely highlighting their excellence.
At this stage, it is important to emphasize your expertise, knowledge, and the unique advantages of your product. The most suitable content for this purpose includes case studies, user-generated content, a buyer’s guide, a product video, and a research report. These examples serve as effective tools in showcasing your credibility and demonstrating the value of what you offer.
- A consulting firm creates a research report proving that businesses that engage in strategic planning, assessments by outsiders, and other services—shaped by what services it offers—experience higher growth.
- A design agency creates short videos showcasing the variety in its work across different industries to demonstrate its diverse expertise.
- An orthodontist practice encourages patients to contribute testimonials about its state-of-the-art equipment and top-notch service.
How to get started with content marketing
Content marketing may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. To begin a successful content marketing campaign, it should be both manageable and sustainable. Follow these steps to get started:
Identify your audience
Before you begin creating content for a specific reader, it is crucial to possess a thorough understanding of their priorities, challenges, and preferences. If you possess comprehensive descriptions of your different segments, select one or two segments to focus on writing for. However, if you lack these descriptions, it is advisable to construct profiles of your audience members and potential customers prior to commencing the writing process.
Determine the right formats
The appropriate format aligns with the stage of the sales cycle you are developing content for. Additionally, it is crucial to determine the formats that effectively demonstrate value. This may entail using a video or a checklist, depending on individual preferences.
An audience should judge the quality of your content, and they will. Find the appropriate resource, whether internal or external, to produce this work. Irrespective of the creator, it is important to employ a professional proofreader to review anything before its release.
Determine how you’ll distribute
Begin by identifying where your audience is most likely to be and then select suitable formats for sharing your content. Sending articles via email makes sense, while social media is a suitable platform for posting checklists or worksheets. Additionally, a buyer’s guide can serve as an effective follow-up to a pitch.
Choose a sustainable schedule
After determining your target audience and the ideal formats for each stage of the sales process, proceed to create a concise plan lasting for a short period of time (3-6 months). Care should be taken to avoid crafting a content marketing plan that is excessively ambitious.
When developing your plan, ensure that the content elements you select are feasible within your budget and available resources. Additionally, keep a record of the time required to create each piece of content so that you can allocate the necessary time in your schedule.
Follow best practices
Compelling content should be written in a clear manner, avoiding jargon that is only known by you and your peers. Additionally, it should provide detailed advice on how to do something. The most effective content is concise, relevant, and provides actionable information.
