As years go, I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a pretty strange one. But where there are challenges there are also huge opportunities, and the recent pandemic has created a seismic shift to shopping online that has probably moved the ecommerce industry forward by at least 5 years.
Equally, where there is opportunity, there is inevitably an increase in competition. So now, more than ever, it’s important to build your brand and stand out from the crowd. Here at Fastnet, our long-term marketing strategies for clients focus largely around content marketing, and there is a very good reason for this.
Good content marketing will always set you apart from the competition, and will directly increase your sales in a number of ways. In fact, it’s one of the few marketing tactics that covers every stage of your sales funnel, and can be reutilised across pretty much all of your client attraction methods, making it one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing out there. Let me explain.
Let’s start with a great blog post. It’s well written, super informative and answers some of the key questions your customer are asking when it comes to purchasing your product, or a similar product.
At the top of your funnel, it’s using all of the right keywords, so it gives your site’s SEO a huge boost, bumping you up the search engines. This has great long term benefits – you may find you’re still getting a steady stream of traffic to your post several months or years after publishing.
Move to the middle of your funnel and that same piece of content is linked to via your email newsletter and social media channels. Those potential customers who were on the fence about purchasing the product click through to find out more – reigniting their interest in a potential purchase.
Move to the bottom of your funnel, and your customer is ready to buy. Your piece of content has done more than inform them about your product – it’s made you the authority on the subject, outlining the potential pros and cons and setting the standard that your customers should be looking for.
For example, if your product has a particular feature that makes it better, more stylish or more efficient, then your content should look to set this as the standard your customers should be looking for. If your competition’s products don’t meet up to their standard then you’ve naturally positioned yourself ahead of the competition.
Hopefully you can see how effective content can benefit your brand, but don’t forget that content can take many different forms. Once you get into the habit, creating content can be really fun, and can take on lots of different creative forms.
Here’s our top 5 forms of content creation:
Blog posts. The most traditional form of content, but still the most effective when it comes to reaching a wide audience.
Video. Video really helps you to broaden your reach and increase your following by tapping into different marketing channels, such as IGTV, YouTube and Facebook.
Infographics. A well designed infographic can be a great way to explain a more complex message and works well across a range of marketing channels, such as Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and on your website. You can also use these graphics in your printed marketing materials – great as a talking point at tradeshows and face to face events.
E-Books. Want to explain a more complex or in-depth message? Consider writing it as an ebook. This helps you to structure the information in a logical and easy-to-read way, and you can ask for an email address prior to download, which will help you to build your mailing list.
Podcasts. Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, and are a great way to build an audience in a non-salesy way – especially if you’re selling interesting adventurous products. For example, if you’re selling climbing products, you could start a podcast interviewing climbers about their adventures. If those climbers are using your products then that can get a subtle mention as part of the podcast. This one takes quite a bit of time and dedication, but it’s a brilliant long-term marketing tactic and great for building a brand following.
Hopefully this has provided you with some insight and inspiration towards your own content marketing, but we’re always here to help if you need support. Just use the link below to book in a completely free, 30 minute Discovery Call with one of our content marketing experts.
