Twenty years ago, marketing for a brand was a relatively simple task: Place an ad in a newspaper. Of course, creating a successful advertisement has always been challenging, but at least the distribution was relatively straightforward.
Those days are over. In today’s digital world, if you’re not spreading marketing across multiple platforms and adjusting your marketing according to each one, you’re likely falling behind.
This is problematic because quality, engaging content is vital for business success. Content should be thought of as something more holistic than simply raising brand recognition or generating revenue. A successful content strategy can unite a community around your brand, expand your digital footprint, and educate your audience, ultimately paving the way for increased sales growth.
At AIMCOR EIG, we offer tailored marketing services as part of our 360-degree approach. Here are a few key strategies for effective content, broken down by type.
Videos
Video is the fastest-growing type of content today. Consumers watch twice as much online video now than in 2018, and the average person watches more than two and a half hours of video per day. However, according to research from The Treetop, the average adult internet user's attention span is 8.25 seconds. So, you have to be strategic in your approach.
Another challenge with video is the constantly shifting social media ecosystem. Views on YouTube and Facebook are down, while TikTok is up. This allows you to continually assess your target audiences and ensure your content is not only shared on the right platforms but also tailored to enhance its success on each one. For example, a video post on Facebook shouldn’t look the same as one on TikTok.
Podcasts
Podcasts are another rapidly growing content segment. According to Demand Sage, 109.1 million people in the United States were estimated to listen to podcasts in 2024.
For a business, a podcast can be useful for sharing your expertise with your audience. This could look like an advice podcast, for instance, giving your clients a chance to submit questions and engage directly with you, or it could take the form of two of your employees discussing a rotating topic. Think of podcasts more as a standalone piece of content that adds value for your audience rather than simply being an advertisement for your business.
Social Media
Chances are your brand is already somewhat active on a social media platform. And for good reason: The total number of social media users has grown yearly for the past decade. But with so many different platforms out there, it can be daunting to figure out where to focus your content and marketing efforts.
As a general rule, pay most attention to the platforms where your target audience is spending time. For younger audiences, look to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. For older, more professional audiences, LinkedIn is the place to be. Facebook and YouTube are prime places for ads.
Blogs
Blogs are a more engaged form of content: They can take considerable time to produce and are frequently more in-depth. Similar to podcasts, think of blog topics as subjects that are of extra importance to your audience and justify a bit more of a deep dive.
Blogs can serve a few different purposes. They provide valuable information to the reader and can appear on search engines and link back to your website, helping generate leads. When crafting blogs, remember to break up text with images and to be wary of length: Longer isn’t always better. Instead, try to be as efficient as possible.
What to Remember When Crafting All Content
Even as you craft unique content for different platforms, remember to keep a cohesive overall message and approach. In addition, don’t overthink things! When done well, topics like current events and industry news are always of interest to readers.
Jumping into the content game can be exciting, but it’s worth remembering that content marketing takes time to generate results. Consistency and quality are key. Before going straight into paid advertising, take time to hone your message and learn about your audience with organic messaging.
Let these four tips serve as overall guiding principles:
- Develop a strategy with specific types of posts for each platform.
- Schedule your content on a consistent basis.
- Distribute your content to the right platform.
- Analyze metrics like audience, engagement, SEO performance, and conversions to track your goals, then adjust accordingly.
Got it? If not, that’s okay! To learn more about building a comprehensive content strategy, get in touch with our AIMCOR EIG team today. Now get out there and start posting!