Zopoxo

Module Four

7. Content Marketing – A Powerful Tool You Cannot Overlook

Content Marketing

Do you know what content marketing is?

What do you do if you want to gain information about any topic? Correct! You go to the search engine and search for it. Now, be it videos, blogs, articles, and more, you refer to all sorts of content to gather information about the topic. 

 

It is obvious that just like you, so many people must be visiting thousands of platforms to gain information. Right? So, content marketing can be an amazing tool in that case. In our previous module chapters, we came across different types of marketing strategies. 

 

But, do you know that about 54.5% of businesses plan on investing more in content marketing in 2024 than in 2023?  Why are businesses interested in content marketing? We are going to learn about it in this chapter. 

 

What is content marketing? What are the different forms of content marketing? We are going to learn all of it in a bit more detail here. 

 

We will cover four key components of content marketing in this chapter. These are blogging and article writing, video marketing, influencer partnerships, and also strategies for utilizing user-generated content (UGC) and community building. So, let us begin. 

 

What is Content Marketing?

In simplest terms, content marketing refers to a form of inbound marketing, where you attract potential customers to your eCommerce website or platform by providing relevant information/content they are looking for. 

 

Content marketing plays a crucial role for companies as it helps in building trust, reliability, and relationships with the audience. As a result, companies will gain more visitors who will potentially turn into customers. 

 

Let us now understand the different types of content marketing strategies that are popular today.

Blogging and Article Writing

Blogging and article writing have always been popular. Since earlier times, when even the internet and computers were not there, people loved reading about different things in the newspapers. 

 

Today, with almost everyone having an internet connection, blogging and article writing have become even more effective. As of today, 90% of businesses have a blog. This proves how effective this form of content is. 

 

Blog and article writing can include everything and anything ranging from product reviews, how-to guides, industry news, and even tips and tricks related to your product. Regularly publishing blogs helps your eCommerce business attract visitors. 

 

Other than this, this improves your search engine rankings (SEO) and establishes your brand as an authority in your niche. Hence, this becomes an amazing way for you to provide value to your audience which would eventually lead to higher conversion rates. 

How To Do It?

Keep the tips mentioned below in consideration while following this content marketing strategy:

  1. Always emphasize choosing relevant topics and subjects that your target audience cares about. Think as an audience for a while. You will always prefer reading blogs on the topics that naturally grab your attention. Right? So, use tools like Google Trends and SEMrush to find relevant content topics. 
  2. Make sure that you include SEO best practices in your content development. Incorporate keywords naturally, write engaging meta tags, and utilize internal linking to boost your blog’s visibility. 
  3. Write a content that is engaging. No one likes reading boring content. So, make sure that your content is conversational, has visuals like images and infographics, and consists of a call to action at the end to encourage the reader’s interaction. 

Video Marketing

We are living in an era of short content. Today, people mostly prefer visual content to just reading long forms of content. This proves why content like Instagram reels, YouTube videos, and more have become so popular. 

With an audience reach of about 92%, online videos are an amazing way to highlight your product and services to the audience. 

So, you need to include video marketing too in your marketing strategy. Video marketing includes creating videos for the promotion of your products, educating your audience, or even telling your brand’s story. 

Be it product demos, customer testimonials, explainer videos, or even live streams, video marketing has the potential to showcase the journey and development of your brand effectively. 

With videos, users can gain information quickly and these provide you a dynamic way to showcase your products. Even on social media platforms, videos perform well and prove themselves as a powerful tool for increasing your reach. 

How To Do It?

Keep the tips mentioned below in consideration while following this content marketing strategy:

  1. Emphasize creating high-quality video content. Use good lighting, clear audio, and professional editing to create videos that represent your brand. 
  2. Attention spans are short. So, ensure that you concisely deliver your message, ideally under 2-3 minutes. 
  3. Even for videos, use relevant keywords in the title and keep SEO optimization in check.
  4. For maximum visibility and reach, publish your videos on the website, YouTube, and social media parallelly. 

Influencer Partnerships

We see various paid partnerships on several platforms and channels today. Influencers, with a large number of followers, hold the potential to popularize your products to the market. So, influencer partnerships involve collaborating with individuals who are popular on social media. 

 

When these influencers promote your products, it will bring their audience to your eCommerce store, driving better traffic and sales. 

 

We know that influencers already have a trusted relationship with their followers. When they recommend your product, it’s seen as a personal endorsement, which can significantly boost your brand’s credibility and reach.

How To Do It?

Keep the tips mentioned below in consideration while following this content marketing strategy:

  1. It is important to look for influencers whose audience matches your target market. You can utilize tools like BuzzSumo or Influencity to find these individuals. 
  2. Focus on building a genuine relationship with influencers. How? Comment on their posts and share their content before you proceed ahead for collaboration. 
  3. It is essential to negotiate fair terms. Mention what you expect from the partnership. Be transparent about compensation, be it monetary, free products, or commissions on sales. 
  4. For tracking results, use affiliate links and discount codes to monitor the performance of each partnership. 

User-Generated Content (UGC) and Community-Building

Do you know that with UGC, users see a 29% increase in conversions? User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content such as photos, videos, reviews, and even social media posts that are created by your customers or followers. 

 

In addition, you can also utilize community-building to the advantage of your eCommerce business. Community-building includes creating a space where your customers can engage with your brand and also with each other. 

 

UGC presents itself as a powerful tool because of its authenticity as the content is created by users themselves. Thus, presenting itself as a relatable and trustworthy content strategy. With community building one can foster a sense of loyalty and belonging among your customers, turning them into brand advocates.

 

How To Do It?

Keep the tips mentioned below in consideration while following this content marketing strategy:

  1. Utilize content, ask customers to share their experiences, or create a branded hashtag that your audience can use while posting about your products. 
  2. Make sure that you highlight and showcase UGC on your website and social media.
  3. Create online groups or forums where customers can discuss your products, share tips, and connect with like-minded individuals. 

Do not forget that the content is king. With content marketing, your business can reach thousands of potential customers to whom you can provide solutions, interact, and even promote your products through content. So, make sure that you have a robust content marketing strategy!