Investment in content marketing is expected to grow 61%, according to the Association for Data-driven Marketing (Australia). My bet is that despite the massive growth in investment the results possible from content marketing, particularly in smaller businesses, are rarely achieved.
Introducing some discipline and being strategic with your content, along with measuring and optimising, will make sure that the growth in money spent turns into revenue for smart business owners willing to do what it takes to make the most of it.
At Marketing Angels we are constantly working on content marketing for our clients and measuring the results. So we get to see what works and doesn’t work instantly. Here’s what we’ve learnt can turn content into sales:
Keep your ears open for the winds of change
Is your industry being affected by a change in consumer or business sentiment? If so, now is the the time for your brand to chime in on any changes. Blog, create a visual, or piece of video content with your take on what’s happening.
Recently we advised a finance company client of ours who had experienced a reduction in leads to develop some content about the current speculation in the market that Australia is experiencing another property bubble. The two pieces of content produced on this topic in the last month have proven to be the most engaging.
Stay on top of changes to your industry and make sure that you respond quickly with quality content.
Track engagement across other mediums
Social media is a great tool not only for tracking engagement and responses to your content but also seeing what content is interesting others.
If you are posting regularly use the analytics tools like those in Facebook and LinkedIn to see what people are responding to. That’s your cue to perhaps dive deeper into a topic or alternatively write on a topic that you can see lots of discussion around in your own feed or the people you follow.
The same finance client of ours mentioned above recently posted a short blog about finance options that are not available from a bank. Sharing the blog in their newsletter showed the post was the most clicked on link from their newsletter subscribers and also one of their most popular social media posts.
This was our cue to promote the content further via banner ads on an industry publication they sponsor, leading to direct sales.
Share content on your personal page or profile
Share content that is posted to your company profile on your personal page and encourage staff to do the same. This week we published an image with a quote by marketing and business thought leader Seth Godin. Visuals always tend to be engaging, however, this was amplified when I shared it on my personal page.
After sharing the content, engagement on the post doubled and views increased by 20%. Not only that – LinkedIn’s algorithm ensures that more people see the post when engagement increases. This also means making sure you respond to any comments on posts as this will increase your engagement scores.
Make it personal
Your content shouldn’t be all business. Time and time again, we see that people love to see content demonstrating what’s happening behind the scenes within your business. It could be a team lunch, celebrating a birthday, making a funny video or showcasing an internal fundraising event. Whatever it is – share it. It develops goodwill and makes clients and customers feel more connected to you and what you do.
Track your results
Make sure that you are tracking leads and sales from all mediums so you can directly see what content is performing for you. This is so you can respond quickly and amplify topics that are getting you attention.
Google Analytics, Facebook insights, social media dashboards and LinkedIn analytics make it easy for you to access your data, so make the most of the metrics at your fingertips.
Since starting her outsourced national marketing consultancy Marketing Angels in 2000, Michelle Gamble has helped hundreds of SMEs get smarter marketing. Michelle helps businesses find more effective ways to grow their brands and businesses.
Since starting her outsourced national marketing consultancy Marketing Angels in 2000, Michelle Gamble has helped hundreds of SMEs get smarter marketing. Michelle helps businesses find more effective ways to grow their brands and businesses.
