Apple, Tesco, Wholefoods, Coca Cola, ASOS and Nike… what do they have in common? They all use content marketing to capture new audiences and keep their most loyal customers entertained and inspired.

The Beginner’s Guide to Content Marketing

Content marketing is a catchall term for creating and sharing useful, interesting and entertaining content to your customers, whether that’s a video, photo, article or look book.

The aim of content marketing is to create a consistent stream of value that entices new customers, rewards loyal customers and provides helpful information that will make your business appear to be an expert in your field.

Simply put, content builds a sense of trust in your brand.

How Does Content Marketing Work?

A simple content marketing strategy must be rooted in what makes your business special. Start by considering your brand universe, what makes you unique and what information you could provide with a degree of expertise?

Instead of seeing your content as an opportunity to sell your product, think about ways it can draw customers to you and engage them in a meaningful way.

In the long-term this will lead to a loyal, repeat customer.

How to Make a Content Strategy

The key components of any good content marketing strategy are to identify what you want to say, who you want to say it to, where you are going to say it and what action you are trying to drive.

This is where The William Agency comes in. As a specialist content marketing business we can develop, implement, promote and measure a complete content strategy that will support your wider KPIs and draw new customers.

To get started, take a look at our popular guide to content pillars for content marketing. You will also need to analyse your brand language and point of view.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Content Marketing

Any beginner’s guide to content marketing needs to explain WHY it is important for your business. You are already juggling social media, print marketing, event planning and day-to-day admin… do you really need more work to do? The answer is that content is too important to ignore.

People Don’t Want to Be Sold to Anymore

Traditional ‘buy this and it will transform your life’ sales tactics don’t work in today’s overexposed, digital world. The use of advert blockers online, the decline of print media and the rise of mobile shopping means customers need to be targeted in new and more imaginative ways.

Your Social Media Needs Content

Ever struggled to think of something to post on social media? Content, whether a short video, great image or a blog post, is essential for making your social media stand out.

Content Supports Your Google Presence

Even a simple content marketing strategy needs to offer consistency and quality if it is going to suceed. Most customers would rather wait for something useful than waste time on consuming poor-quality content.

Google’s search algorithm has a similar view, which means fantastic content can support your organic search ranking and overall digital presence.

Content Drives Sales and Customer Loyalty

Customers who are already buying your products can become even more invested in your brand universe through content.

For those customers who are new to your offer, they may have found you through your content, or they may be tempted to dwell longer on your site thanks to an interesting read. For this reason, ensure your content is easily accessible and visible on your website.

Content Helps to Build Brand Trust

When searching for a purchase online, customers will drill down their options until they are torn between a handful of different brands or websites.

If only one of these offers extra value through content (such as demo videos, great imagery, how-to guides and reviews), then this company is likely to appear to be the expert and the one to invest in. This sense of trust is invaluable for growing your business.