target audience – Editorial PR

27/Dec/2017

Small business owners are still unsure whether their digital marketing strategies are working and claim that finding the resources and time to support creative content campaigns will be one their biggest challenges in 2018.

Content and digital marketing have been cited as crucial strategies for driving a variety of positive business outcomes, including engagement, awareness, reach and sales in 2018. But, a new report by marketing and sales platform Infusionsoft suggest micro-businesses and other small enterprises are still somewhat short of maximising the potential of video, mobile and other key trends.

The research polled the opinions of 1,000 small-business owners in North America in October. While digital marketing success remains out of reach for most respondents, almost three-quarters said they plan on publishing content across social media platforms next year to acquire new customers. Facebook will be the most popular outlet for these small-business owners.

While the report noted a certain caution in major digital marketing spend, more than a third will invest in social media management in 2018, and 30% will spend more on SEO and digital ads due to the growing importance of featuring on the first page of Google SERPs.

USA TODAY senior columnist, Steve Strauss said: “The vast majority of small business owners are indicating that they plan to invest their money in social media in 2018. I strongly recommend they invest in tools that enable them to…monitor traffic and conversion to see what’s working and what isn’t.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the report is the fact that most small-business owners are effectively in a blind spot when attempting to determine the success of digital marketing. A staggering 63% said they either “don’t know if their marketing strategies work” or “know their strategies aren’t working,” which indicates SMEs must do more to leverage tools, metrics and analytics to improve content decision making.

An outside influence could also help. A fifth of enterprises said a major challenge for 2018 would be finding the time and money to market their business properly. A third party, such as a digital content agency, could transform a brand’s marketing efforts, providing them with not only expertise but also regular, high-quality, targeted and relevant blogs, news, and videos that can benefit every aspect of a modern business.

Demand Gen Report & Marketing ID News Editor, Brian Anderson, added. “Finding time and resources for marketing, being able to convert leads into customers, being able to have the types of conversations that lead to sales: it’s ultimately not a technology solution as much as it’s a process solution. If you have don’t have a process to understand your marketing efforts and your sales efforts, your technology isn’t going to benefit.”

Digital marketing can drive the visibility, awareness and revenue small businesses need to grow, so marketers simply must do more to implement effective campaigns, as they risk losing out to larger enterprises that usually have more mature strategies and resources.

Aimee

16/Oct/2017

Santander-and-private-equity-firms-the-latest-to-see-content-marketing-benefits-.jpg

The versatility of content marketing was highlighted again this week after Spanish banking group Santander revealed how it has been using an educational content hub to reach new audiences, and a current survey found that private equity firms are leveraging engaging news and articles to build their brands.

Digital content marketing has been around for a decade now, but large organisations are still discovering how beneficial a targeted and relevant marketing campaign can be for driving positive business goals and objectives. Santander said it recently turned to content marketing after struggling to acquire customers due to a focus on product promotions.

Santander realised that its previous strategy was failing to meet the needs of its current customers and decided to create a “Prosper and Thrive” content hub to address the problem. It says high-quality content has been a core component of its strategy as informative articles have driven social engagements, website visits and email signups.

Santander has used content to demystify finances for millennials, a group of young people it claims has often “shied away” from the industry. The latest targeted campaigns have not only been practical and entertaining but have added value by improving the financial wellbeing of millennials.

“Millennial expectations have dramatically shifted. They want and expect more from their everyday experiences, which includes how they bank, who they trust and how they consume information,” Arnold Worldwide VP and Director of Engagement Planning Jessica Newton said.

She added: “Content allows us to build and nurture relationships with millennials without talking about products and services, on their time and in environments most relevant to them. Through this approach we’re able to make them more aware of who we are as a bank and shift their perception of us as a bank.”

The program launched less than a year ago, but it has already been a huge success, having driven more than a million site visits and 200,000 engagements on social platforms. The 125 published articles have also led to thousands of people opening new accounts and opting into the bank’s email initiative.

A new report from Pitchbook and BackBay Communications has also revealed how private equity firms have embraced content marketing campaigns en masse during the last two years to build their brands. Content is now seen as an asset in an increasingly competitive market where deals and funding are more difficult to secure.

Creative videos and articles are now used by almost half of the enterprises surveyed to demonstrate their expertise within the industry and company culture. Demand for excellent copy is also set to soar during the next 12 months, as 58% said they are increasing budgets to improve their visibility and reach to give themselves the best chance of succeeding.

BackBay Communications President & CEO Bill Haynes concluded: “It is essential for private equity firms today to have a professional approach to media relations — whether residing in-house or outsourced to an agency — to manage and protect their reputations and that of their portfolio companies, as well as to capitalize on positive news and demonstrate their expertise.”

Aimee

19/Jun/2017

The phrase ‘content is king’ has been bandied around for years, yet it now rings truer than ever, with businesses needing to prioritise content marketing if they’re to engage with and inspire their target audience. With modern consumers being more demanding, savvy and empowered than ever, content will remain at the heart of marketing in 2017 and beyond.

Understanding content marketing

Content marketing cover a broad spectrum of practices but it is generally thought of as a marketing strategy that places emphasis on creating and curating valuable, high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. The end goal is to engage consumers, boost brand loyalty and, ultimately, increase the bottom line.

Over the past few years, content marketing market has evolved a lot, and marketing strategists can no longer rely on keyword stuffing to improve search engine rankings. Now creating entertaining, shareable, authoritative content is the key to success.

Content trends in 2017

As the year has progressed, several trends have come to the fore. By utilising these, brands can optimise strategies to give them the best of succeeding. For example, 84 per cent of online consumers say they now trust reviews just as much as recommendations from a friend. It stands to reason, therefore, that if a firm can get the backing of a celebrity or industry influencer, better consumer awareness and connection can be gained.

Native advertising – advertising that resembles editorial content but is intended to promote a product or service – is increasingly being used because consumers are so accustomed to banner and display advertising that they fail to notice them. This means native advertising is now essential for brands to be noticed.

Mobile content is also becoming more popular amid predictions that 50 per cent of devices in use around the world by 2020 will be smartphones. It is important for businesses not to miss out on this growing audience and to utilise mobile marketing to engage with it.

A level of automation is also now being used in content marketing to streamline campaigns. Though it’s unlikely content creation will be automated any time soon, methods to save time and improve efficiency throughout the content marketing process can greatly help overall results, with research suggesting that companies utilising automation see a 451 per cent rise in qualified leads.

Tools for SMBs

For small and medium businesses (SMBs), content marketing offers the chance to meet larger competitors on a level playing field by optimising campaigns some of the many excellent tools now widely available.

One of the best is Kajabi, an all-round content advertising tool that is mobile responsive and helps firms develop file downloads, membership sites, online courses, training portals and more. The Clearvoice platform helps firms simplify their content strategy from management to distribution to measurement.

Content is set to remain on its throne for the foreseeable future, but it must be curated in a strategic and efficient way to yield results; firms that take the time and effort to do so can expect great returns.

Aimee

30/May/2017

Content marketing has become a go-to strategy for many businesses in the digital age, with brands choosing to create engaging and promotional material to share with their followers.

However, for any content marketing campaign strategy to be a success, it is vital to have seven key pieces of information.

Set a goal

For any strategy to be successful, a goal is required. Strategists will have many objectives throughout a campaign, but content marketing should focus on the top priority.

Though most firms will be looking to attract new customers and, as a result, make more money, it’s important to dig deeper than that. For example, does your brand want to increase website traffic? Or perhaps boost product awareness? Specificity is important.

Know your target audience

One of the worst ways to start a content marketing campaign is by not knowing the target audience. By knowing who the content is aimed at, the right kind of content can be produced. It will also ensure it is published on the platforms where it is likely to get most engagement and enable it to offer a unique angle that will attract the target audience.

Understand the competition

Research into competitors and the strategies they use is also essential. Search engines are a great way to quickly discover similar companies and brands. Once you’ve done that, it doesn’t take much to identify the ways in which a competitor’s own content marketing is conducted.

Key questions are how are your goals different? Do your target audiences match or overlap? And what differentiating factors could make your strategy fresh and appealing?

Work out which mediums to utilise

There is a vast array of ways to distribute content, from email newsletters and blogs to social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Though there’s no need to limit campaigns to a single platform, it is important to recognise the differences between each so content can be tailored accordingly. For example, content that works on Pinterest is unlikely to come over well on LinkedIn.

Set a message

Rather than simply producing content for the sake of it, identify a key message or feeling that all content produced for that a campaign should have. This includes not only visual stimulus, such as typeface and imagery, but the emotional tone.

Costs

As with all forms of marketing, content marketing has associated costs, and these should be thought about when planning strategies. Budgets could factor into how broad a campaign becomes or what sort of content is produced.

Return on investment

Though return on investment (ROI) can be a challenge to identify, it is important for brands to have an idea of projected returns before embarking on a content marketing campaign.

Put simply, the ROI could be how much the company wants to gain from the campaign; for example, how many new customers should be gained or how much additional revenue should be generated.

These seven pieces of information are essential to give content marketing campaigns the best chance of success. And, by taking the time to research, brands reduce the risk of an expensive strategy not providing the desired ROI.

Aimee

25/Apr/2017

Content marketing is a go-to form of online marketing in the modern era, with many businesses replacing link-building campaigns with content marketing strategies.

However, for consumers, seemingly never-ending reams of content are nothing but clutter. Therefore, marketers should optimise their efforts to ensure they stand out from the crowd.

KPIs and strategy need to be defined

It’s important for marketers to clearly define their strategy and key performance indicators (KPIs) from the very beginning of a campaign.

While it’s clear target audiences need to be engaged throughout the purchase journey, a distinct idea of how this will occur is needed. For example, each stage of the journey should have defined content requirements.

Marketers should also consider the link and authority requirements needed to compete for top-ranking positions.

Understand content purpose and target audience

For a content marketing strategy to be successful, it’s vital for brands to not only understand their target audience, but ensure the content directed at that audience has a clearly defined purpose. For example, while one article might be used to drive brand awareness, another might be used to drive conversion.

To create the right content, marketers need to know the personas and emotional intelligence of their target audience. It’s also wise to set clear guidelines with regards to content designed to attract new customers and content seeking to engage existing customers.

Connect with consumers across channels

If businesses want to offer true value to consumers, it’s essential to utilise an owned, earned, shared and paid (OESP) strategy for content marketing. This means marketers need to consider not only what their target audience is and where it is to be found, but also what messages are sent and when.

By identifying these two things, brands put themselves in a position to be able to repurpose content for various channels, increasing overall engagement as a result.

All this means content cannot be put into siloes. Teams need to collaborate on a single, wide-ranging content strategy. A widely-utilised framework for this is ‘hero, hub, hygiene’. ‘Hero’ content is that which captures the imagination using storytelling and entertainment. ‘Hub’ content is that developed to build authority and trust. And ‘hygiene’ content is that which provides educational and help.

Less is more

Finally, in an age where consumers are bombarded with information, marketers should adopt a ‘less is more’ approach. Studies have found consumers believe up to 60 per cent of the material produced by brands is just clutter. Therefore, it’s important to adopt a consumer-centric approach and go for quality over quantity, ensuring the content produced is focused and makes and impact across multiple channels.

Overall, the most important aspect of content marketing is to ensure the target audience is being served with truly helpful, high-value material that fulfils its needs. This alone will boost organic search and engagement, driving business performance.

Aimee

18/Apr/2017

Over the past few years, one thing has become clear – content marketing really works. In fact, brands are turning to content marketing more than ever before as a way to reach their target audience – not only to sell but also to engage, build rapport and create loyal fans. However, a recent survey conducted within the UK’s content marketing sector discovered that whilst budgets for this form of advertising are soaring, many people simply do not know what to spend it on.

It seems as if the content market in Britain is at a crossroads. Though companies are realising the potential that content has to grip and connect with consumers, and are increasing budgets as a result, advertisers still do not understand how to best spend the money. In addition, a lack of skilled professionals in this niche means that much of the money might be going to waste because it’s not being used correctly.

The latest findings have been revealed by The State of Content Marketing report, which was launched to some of the leading senior marketers earlier in 2017. The survey had a number of key aims, one of which was to identify where money is being spent. In addition, researchers want to discover what challenges lay ahead for companies, as well as the current variety of activity being conducted.

The results of the survey showed some surprising findings. For example, though 79per cent of respondents say they feel content marketing results are ‘very effective’ or ‘effective’, 62per cent of decision-makers admitted they did not understand how to effectively measure the Return On Investment (ROI) for campaigns primarily led by content. Meanwhile, just 6per cent of those replying said they were ‘definitely clear’ on how day-to-day activities should be run.

The report did, however, identify just how marketers are currently measuring their content marketing campaign success. For example, 85per cent of people say they watch traffic and that when this increased, it was a sign of success. The second highest measure was based on SEO ranking, with 45per cent of marketers using it as their goal. Finally, and somewhat of a surprise, just 38per cent of marketers placed a priority on sales increases as a way to measure the success of a campaign.

Industry expert Simon Penson said: “It appears a large percentage of marketers are choosing content marketing as their weapon of choice, before thinking about what they want this activity to achieve. Whether it’s traffic, keyword ranking or sales, content marketing has the ability to assist these goals, but it’s important to have this objective in mind from the start. As content marketing experts, it’s important we continue to share performance measurement tools, educational guides and best practice eBooks with marketers, so they have the tools to bridge the gap in knowledge and confidence we have seen in our survey.”

As the use of content marketing increases, strategists will need to focus even more on using the correct ROI measurements so they can hone their strategies to gain the best possible success.

Aimee

22/Aug/2016

Content marketing remains an extremely important priority for many companies around the world as the competition for consumers continues to rise. In an era when it’s harder than ever to keep brand loyalty, despite the potential to engage with people being much higher, organisations must ensure their content marketing efforts pay off. However, many strategists accidentally use a number of bad practices in their campaigns, leading to missed goals and, sometimes, complete failure. To correct this, marketers must find their voice, keep it simple and make sure they’re on-trend if they’re to effectively connect with consumers.

Connecting with customers is key in the modern day. To do this properly, firms have to understand their target audiences and cater content to meet these people’s needs. It is, therefore, essential not to send mix messages. This not only applies to the development of overall branding, but to individual pieces of content too. There are just seconds available to catch a consumer’s attention, and so the amount of information supplied must be minimal. It means that regardless of whether a Tweet, Facebook post or newsletter is being sent out, customers should be left with just one thing to remember. Too much information can clutter a message.

It is also essential for brands to stay true to their voice if they don’t want to alienate their fans. There are many opportunities to take advantage of a trending topic, but it’s important to ensure that the latest news or hashtag aligns properly with a company’s image. When it does, it is vital for strategists to be confident to act on their decision quickly. For example, Oreo managed to steal the show when it came to the Super Bowl blackout, utilising the incident in their ‘Dunk in the Dark’ tweet to remain fun and relevant. However, it is extremely important to avoid sensationalism unless it is really required. Though headlines including ‘secret’, ‘shocking’ and ‘best tip ever’ might seem something to catch people’s attention, it can backfire and erode any trust built with audience members.

Content marketing must also remain clear for all customers, and this means staying away from industry acronyms and confusing terms. Though some marketers may be keen to use such language as a way to appear knowledgeable, it can quickly turn audiences off.

Finally, it is important for content strategists to remain on trend, and in the modern era, this means that using video is almost mandatory. Blog posts and articles remain a good way to reach readers, but moving images and visuals attract a lot of attention. It doesn’t have to cost a lot either because videos filmed with a HD camera or even on a smartphone can create believable messages that followers can connect with.

Reaching out to an audience through content can be a complex task, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of making errors and following bad practices. However, by ensuring campaigns are on-trend and continuing to use the brand’s voice at all times, the potential for success can grow.

Annie

15/Aug/2016

In a recent publication by CMI, it was reported just 34 per cent of both B2C and B2B brands rate their content marketing as effective. In fact, the 2016 Content Marketing Benchmark report revealed that producing engaging content for lead generation and sales was a top challenge of 60 per cent of firms. However, the figures suggest two fundamental mistakes that could be undermining strategies – the first being that many firms invest in content simply to produce material that is clicked to generate sales. Secondly, they prioritise any rise in sales and leads over the process of earning trust, familiarity and relationships.

On average, consumers come across around 285 pieces of content every day. According to Lifehack, this material is often served to consumers as a way to create action, whether that’s to collect data or gain a sale. However, the average consumer does not follow a linear route with content and, therefore, there is no guaranteed sale.

One of the biggest mistakes brands make when it comes to content marketing is creating content with the sole purpose of generating sales and leads. While strategists may have invested time and effort on the creation, distribution and sharing of material, many will have neglected remembering that content needs to be centred on its target audience. To correctly engage with people, marketers need to understand the customer journey and the experience – and they can do this by following four key phases.

Firstly, it’s vital to uncover people’s journeys. This can be achieved by understanding the motivations behind consumers’ actions. The various characteristics of people’s personas must be identified, as they will help drive the type of content to be created. Secondly, a customer’s experience must be properly mapped from beginning to end. Every interaction should be included, with positive outcomes being used towards creating good content.

The third phase is to chart content to ensure it serves informational, emotional and functional needs throughout. As content is aligned to the journey, it is important to match solutions to problems instead of focusing on services and products. Consumers rarely know the exact product they want; rather, they know their end goal and need a way to achieve it.

Finally, it’s important to tell the story correctly, using a storyboard to include all the previous phase elements into a cohesive journey. The resulting content needs to connect everything between a business, brand, customer and product or service benefits. In addition, it must be remembered that consumers often prefer different channels, so it’s important to use various platforms to connect with different audiences.

Overall, organisations must ensure they’re focused on creating content full of value for their consumers, and not simply pushing products and services upon people. It’s best to prioritise answering a problem instead of simply promoting the generation of sales and leads. In addition, by offering solutions to a target audience’s issues, brands will not only boost sales but also nurture the relationships and emotional ties between their business and its consumers.

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