Basic guide to optimise your content marketing strategy

Content plays an important role in creating meaningful connections with audiences. From generating awareness to driving purchase decisions and fostering loyalty, content marketing operates as a strategic ally at every stage of the sales funnel.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is content marketing?
  

• Content marketing vs inbound marketing

• Types of formats within a content marketing strategy

• How content marketing works

• Why include content marketing in your digital strategy

• How to create an effective content marketing strategy

• Content marketing best practices

• Content marketing metrics

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that focuses on the creation and distribution of valuable and relevant content to attract, retain and engage with a specific audience. 

The main goal of content marketing is to provide useful, entertaining or educational information to the audience, in order to build a strong and lasting relationship with consumers. The idea is to provide content that solves problems, satisfies needs or simply entertains the audience, which in turn can build trust and brand loyalty.

Content marketing is not simply about promoting products or services, but about building a strong online presence, establishing your brand as an authority in your industry and connecting meaningfully with your audience. By providing value through content, brands can positively influence consumer decision making and make a lasting impact. 

Content marketing vs inbound marketing

Content marketing focuses on the creation and distribution of valuable content to attract and retain audiences, with a primary focus on generating awareness and consideration. On the other hand, Inbound Marketing is a more holistic strategy that incorporates content marketing as one of its tactics, but also integrates various tools and techniques, such as SEO, social media, email marketing and automation, to attract, convert, close and engage customers throughout all stages of the sales funnel. 

While content marketing focuses on creating valuable content to educate, inform or entertain the audience through various channels such as blogs, social media, and other media, Inbound Marketing addresses the customer experience holistically, from initial attraction to retention and promotion.

Types of formats within a content marketing strategy

There are several types of formats for a content marketing strategy, each tailored to meet the needs and preferences of the audience. Here are some common types:

• Blogs: Articles that provide information, tips, news and more. They are essential for establishing brand authority and improving SEO.
  
• Videos: Visual content that can include tutorials, testimonials, stories, entertainment, and more. 
  
• Infographics: Visual representations of complex data or information, designed to be easily understandable and shareable.
  
• Podcasts: Audio content that can be informative, educational or entertaining. Podcasts are ideal for consumers who prefer audio content.

• Social media: Posting content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok to engage with audiences, share news, promotions and build community.
  

• Ebooks and guides: Longer and more detailed resources than blogs, often used to capture leads and provide more in-depth content.
  

• Webinars: Real-time online events that allow for live presentations, discussions and Q&A.
  

• User-generated content (UGC): Publishing user-generated content, such as reviews, photos or testimonials, to increase authenticity and build community.
  

• Email marketing: Sending content via email, which can include newsletters, promotions and exclusive content for subscribers.
  

• Paid advertising: To boost your strategy, especially in the early stages, consider using paid online advertising through platforms such as Google or social networks such as Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Ads. This will allow you to improve your visibility in search engines and promote your content on various social networks.
  

• Offline events and actions: Traditional advertising events and other offline initiatives will also play an important role in spreading your message and act as indicators of your brand's popularity and the alignment of your strategy with the expectations of your target audience. 

 

How content marketing works

Content marketing plays a crucial role at each stage of the sales funnel, addressing users' needs and expectations at different points in the decision-making process. Let's see how it works at each stage:

1. Awareness-raising stage (ToFu)

• Objective: To attract the attention of a wide audience and generate awareness of your brand.

• How it works:

  • Create educational and valuable content that addresses common problems or questions of your audience.

  • Use blogs, introductory videos, infographics or social media content.

  • Optimise for search keywords and share content on relevant channels.

2. Consideration stage (MoFu)

• Objective: Build a deeper relationship with the audience and show how your brand can solve their problems.

• How it works:

  • Offer more detailed content, such as case studies, ebooks or webinars.

  • Highlight the features and benefits of your products or services.

  • Use testimonials and reviews to support your brand's credibility.

3. Conversion stage (BoFu)

• Objetive: Convert potential customers into final customers by making informed decisions.

• How it works:

  • Provide content that addresses specific questions about pricing, detailed features and warranties.
    

  • Offer demos, free trials or personalised consultations.
    

  • Focus on content that validates decision-making, such as success stories, user-generated content, buyer's guides or a product video, etc. 

Why include content marketing in your digital strategy

Content marketing is an essential strategy in the digital landscape for several reasons. Here are some of the reasons why to use content marketing:

Attracting a relevant audience

Content marketing allows you to attract a specific audience by providing content that responds to their needs, questions or interests. By doing so, you can reach people who are more interested in a brand's products or services.


Establishing authority and credibility

By creating high-quality, educational content, a brand can establish itself as an authority in its industry. This helps build trust among consumers, which can influence purchasing decisions.


Lead generation

Content marketing is effective for lead generation by providing users with valuable content in exchange for their contact information. This can include ebook downloads, webinar registrations, newsletter subscriptions, etc.


Improved SEO

Creating relevant, quality content is a key component of improving search engine rankings. SEO-optimised content contributes to increasing a brand's online visibility and attracting organic traffic.

Encouraging interaction and participation

Engaging and shareable content encourages interaction on social media and other channels. Audience engagement, such as commenting and sharing, amplifies the reach of the content and builds a community around the brand.


Customer retention

Maintaining a constant presence through content creation helps retain existing customers. Customers are more likely to remain engaged with a brand that provides them with valuable information on an ongoing basis.


Adaptability to different formats

Content marketing allows you to use a variety of formats, such as blogs, videos, infographics and podcasts, to suit your audience's consumption preferences.


Differentiation from the competition

By creating unique content, a brand can stand out and differentiate itself from the competition. This is particularly important in saturated industries.

Building long-term relationships

Content marketing is not just about immediate sales, but about building long-term relationships with the audience. This can lead to lasting loyalty and brand recommendation to others. 

How to create an effective content marketing strategy

Creating an effective content marketing strategy involves several key steps. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you develop a solid strategy:

1. Set clear objectives

   Define specific, measurable goals for your strategy. These might include increasing website traffic, generating leads, improving brand visibility or increasing social media engagement.

2. Find your audience

   Develop buyer persona profiles to understand your audience's needs, challenges and behaviours. This will help you create more relevant and personalised content.

3. Choose content type and format

   Decide what types of content are most appropriate for your audience and objectives. You can include blogs, videos, infographics, podcasts, webinars, among others.

4. Research relevant keywords

   Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant topics and opportunities to optimise content for search engines.

5. Analyse your competition

   Study your competitors to understand what type of content they are producing, how they are positioning their messages and what tactics they are using.

6. Measure and analyse
   
   Use analytics tools to evaluate content performance. Measure metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement and lead generation.

7. Continuously adjust and improve

   Based on the data collected, adjust your strategy as needed. Stay on top of trends and adapt your approach to remain effective.

By following these steps and adapting them to your brand's specific needs, you can develop a solid and effective content marketing strategy.

Content marketing best practices

Content marketing best practices are strategies and approaches that have proven to be effective in creating and distributing content successfully. Here are some of the best practices:

• Know your audience: Understand your audience, their needs, wants and challenges. Create content of value to your target audience.
• Create valuable and relevant content: Provide content that is useful, educational, entertaining or inspiring to your audience. 
  
• Stay consistent: Publish content on a regular and consistent basis. A content calendar can help you plan and organise your posts.
  
  
• Promote on broadcast channels: Use broadcast channels and other channels such as social media to share your content. Tailor your approach according to the platform and encourage engagement.
  
  
• Use calls to action (CTAs): Incorporate relevant CTAs in your content to guide the audience to the next desired action, whether it is downloading a resource, subscribing or purchasing.
  
  
• Offer exclusive content: Provide exclusive content for your subscribers or followers. This can include early access, discounts or premium content.

• Measure and analyse performance: Use analytics tools to evaluate the performance of your content. Examine metrics such as website traffic, click-through rate, conversions and social media engagement.

• Incorporate engaging visuals: Use images, graphics and other visual elements to make your content more appealing and easier to consume.

• Prioritise quality over quantity: While consistency is important, don't sacrifice quality for quantity. It is better to have valuable, well-crafted content than frequent but superficial posts.

Content marketing metrics

Content marketing metrics are key indicators that allow you to evaluate the performance and impact of your content strategies. Some important metrics include:

• Web traffic: Measure the number of visitors coming to your site through your content. You can analyse total traffic, as well as traffic specific to certain content pages.

• Conversions: Evaluate how many visitors take a desired action after consuming your content. This could include subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a resource or purchasing a product.

• Time on page: Indicates how long users spend on a content page. A longer time may suggest higher engagement and value of the content.

• Bounce rate: Shows the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your content is not meeting expectations.

• Social media shares: Measures the number of times your content is shared on social media platforms. Shares can extend the reach and visibility of your content.

• Lead generation: Track how many new leads are generated through your content. This can include registration forms, resource downloads or other actions that indicate interest.

• Customer retention: Evaluate the ability of your content to keep existing customers engaged and satisfied.

• SEO: Look at how your content affects your search engine rankings. Analyse keyword rankings and visibility in search results.

• Cost per acquisition (CPA): Calculate how much it costs to acquire a customer through your content strategies. Compare this to the value those customers bring to your business.

• User feedback: Collect direct feedback from users through surveys, website comments or social media interactions. This provides valuable qualitative information about the effectiveness and reception of your content.

An effective content marketing strategy is essential to stand out. From defining clear objectives to creating and distributing valuable content, each step in the process plays a crucial role in the success of the strategy. By thoroughly understanding your audience, leveraging the right keywords and maintaining consistency in content quality and frequency, you can build a solid online presence and attract an engaged community.

With Adsmurai's content marketing service, you can create, inspire and engage your audience on all possible platforms and improve the impact of your brand with personalised content.