Most companies believe that content marketing includes having a blog and sharing posts on various social networking platforms. Starting off content marketing campaigns this way is a good idea but there is so much more that companies need to do to have successful and effective content marketing campaigns.
According to a recent content marketing survey by Econsultancy, more than 64% of respondents believe that content marketing is becoming an independent marketing principle but very few companies are treating content marketing this way. Surprisingly, more than 65% of the respondents have no specific budgets for content marketing even though about 38% believe that content marketing is better than advertisements for increasing sales.
Marketing channels and purchase funnels have changed
With the advent of Web2.0 and Web2.0 technologies, the number of marketing channels for businesses has increased exponentially. One of the content distribution channels that people are talking about is mobile devices. This is why responsive design is of the utmost importance for businesses and they need to make their websites more mobile-friendly as soon as possible.
This is the age of the customer, where he/she decides how to engage with the brand and not the other way round. There can be no conversions if there is no engagement and customers will move on to the next brand if your brand is not actively reaching out to them. People have very little time and patience these days and they are very knowledgeable. You need to be able to foresee where your customer base will be to win a loyal customer base. User generated content, testimonials, recommendations, instant comparisons, rewards, multiple purchasing options are alternatives that customers are craving for nowadays and you need to give them all this to gain an edge over your competitors.
The number of touchpoints have also increased, which has completely changed the purchase funnel. The new purchase funnel is not a linear model like its predecessor but is more complex and wider. The new funnel places a lot of emphasis on post purchase activities. According to the model, businesses should focus more on preparing their customers for repeat purchases by fostering customer engagement. By effectively engaging with your customers, you can use your content to guide them through the decision-making process and make them feel empowered.
How to incorporate this new funnel in your existing strategy
You need to ask yourself some pressing questions to figure out if your content marketing strategies need tweaking. Is your company able to convert one-time customers into loyal followers? Are your content marketing campaigns reaching existing, potential, old and new customers? Is your strategy cost effective? If you cannot answer these questions accurately, you need to figure out how to use available digital channels more effectively. This is the age where you need to be able to create content of integrity that works on all new touchpoints and digital distribution channels.
Here are some tips on creating highly successful content of integrity:
• Adopt the new purchase funnel and understand it
• Conduct training programs for all your staff (which can be administered through employee coaching software) regardless of whether they are in the content marketing team.
• Make sure that your marketing team is working closely with other departments.
• A Chief Content Creator or Manager needs to be appointed.
• Research your competitions and learn from their campaigns.
• Identify people, within and outside your organization, who are capable of content creation and curation.