Have you ever wondered why some brands seem to effortlessly connect with their audience while others struggle to get noticed? What makes a brand effective, visible, and noticeable and the other unnoticed? What influences audiences to favor one brand over another, even when the reasons aren’t immediately obvious? The secret is content marketing—a way to create meaningful connections that lead to long-term success.
If you’ve heard the term but aren’t sure what it really means, or if you want to learn how to start, stick with me. I’ll try to explain as best as I can what content marketing is and how to use it effectively to serve your audience and your goals! Small business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs strive to create value for their clients while managing their finances.
Let’s explore the ins and outs of content marketing, and I’ll try to show you how to make it work for you. But first let’s clear out what content marketing is, and what is not!
What’s Content Marketing Anyway?
Let’s break it down and start unfolding the topics step-by-step. Content marketing is about sharing valuable, engaging content to build relationships with your audience. Let’s take another look at this! It talks about engaging and value-added content with a purpose to build relationships with the people you want to serve.
It’s not about yelling “Buy this!” or about “Check on me!”. It’s about offering something your audience genuinely needs—be it information, solutions, or inspiration.
Think of it like this: You’re not just a salesperson; you’re a helpful friend or a significant coach/partner/…. And in return, your audience trusts you enough to buy from you when they’re ready.
If you want to dive deeper into the subject, check out this article about content marketing. But first you need to find out what you do as a content marketer. Aren’t you?
So, What Do Content Marketers Actually Do?
Content marketers are like chefs preparing a perfect meal for their audience. Here’s how they do it:
- Learn About Their Audience: They figure out what people need and what makes them tick.
- Create Content That Matters: Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, courses, videos, or eBooks, they craft materials that solve problems, educate, or entertain.
- Get Found Online: By using SEO (more on this soon) and a bit of copywriting, they ensure the content pops up when someone searches for answers.
- Track What’s Working: They analyse the results and improve what isn’t working.
- Spread the Word: Sharing content on the right platforms so it reaches the right people.
In short, content marketers are storytellers, strategists, thought leaders, and data nerds all rolled into one. And these roles are best fitted for digital marketing.
What Makes Digital Content Marketing Different?
Digital content marketing is about meeting people where they spend most of their time: online.
From blogs and Instagram posts to podcasts and YouTube videos, it’s about creating content for the digital world.
If your audience lives online (spoiler: they do), this is where you need to be.
Why Content Marketing and SEO Are a Perfect Pair
Here’s a truth bomb: The best content in the world is useless if no one sees it. That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) steps in.
SEO is the art of making your content easy to find on Google and other search engines. By using the right keywords (like “content marketing“), writing engaging meta descriptions, and earning backlinks, you ensure your content shows up when people search for it.
Think of SEO as the GPS that leads your audience to your content. Is that clear? Your most valuable content is unseen and unnoticed without the “proper engineering”.
Does not suffice anymore to be a good (the best!) writer. You need to become an adequate SEO engineer and copywriter if you want your content to be read!
So how do you start?
Want to Get Started with Content Marketing? Here’s How
Starting doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these steps, and you’ll be on your way:
- Figure Out What You Want to Achieve: Are you looking for more website visitors? More sales? Clear goals help guide your strategy. And new tools can help you as well!
- Know Who You’re Talking To: Create a clear picture of your ideal audience. What do they care about? What problems can you help them solve? How to keep them loyal to your brand!
- Pick the Right Platforms: Are your people scrolling Instagram, watching YouTube, or reading blogs? Focus your energy there.
- Plan It Out: Use a simple calendar to organize your ideas and keep your content flowing consistently.
- Make Content That Stands Out: Whether it’s a blog, a video, or a tweet, ensure it’s helpful, engaging, and authentic.
- Learn and Improve: Pay attention to what works and tweak your approach as you go.
An excellent platform to utilize today for your content marketing ventures is Youtube. But think a little bit. Is Youtube a content marketing platform or not? And if yes, how to use it?
Is YouTube The Right Platform or a Content Marketing Goldmine?
The answer is simple. Absolutely YES. YouTube isn’t just for cat or dog videos (though those are great, too). It’s a powerful platform for content marketing.
Whether you’re teaching a skill, showcasing products, or sharing your expertise, YouTube lets you connect with millions of potential fans and customers.
Here’s a quick tip to enhance your YouTube endeavors. You need to focus on solving your audience’s problems. Tutorials, product reviews, and behind-the-scenes videos work wonders on this platform.
And if we cover that, you need to think about the critical question. How do you make money with content marketing?
How Do Content Marketers Make Money?
This is the fun part. Content marketers have plenty of ways to turn their work into income:
- Freelance Projects: Writing, designing, or managing content for brands.
- Affiliate Marketing: Promoting products and earning a commission for sales.
- Ads: Earning revenue from platforms like YouTube or blogs.
- Selling Products: From eBooks to online courses, the possibilities are endless.
- Consulting: Helping businesses build their own content strategies.
And there are many more ways to employ if you want to become a successful content marketer! Yes, there are. Depends on what you want to do, your goals, and how to “package” your content.
But first you need to answer this question: “Is Content Marketing Free or Paid?”
The answer is simple. The beauty of content marketing is that you can do both:
- Organic Marketing: Create content and share it freely on blogs, social media, or email. OR/AND
- Paid Marketing: Use ads to boost your content’s reach on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
Both approaches can complement each other beautifully and both help you make money in the process.
Both approaches help you to become an effective content marketer. But what makes you a successful content marketer?
Want to Be a Successful Content Marketer? Here’s the Recipe
Becoming a standout content marketer isn’t about luck—it’s about effort and strategy. You need to study a lot and practice a lot in order to check what works and what is not. And you need to:
- Learn the Basics: Understand storytelling, SEO, and audience psychology.
- Keep Learning: Stay on top of trends and new tools.
- Be Consistent: Regularly post valuable content that resonates with your audience.
- Engage and Listen: Build genuine relationships with your followers.
- Use Data Wisely: Let analytics guide your decisions and refine your approach.
And when you have done that, you still need some ways to fit content marketing to what you do!
Here’s How to Use Content Marketing in Your Business
Content marketing can help you in many ways, either you are a large corporation, or a small business. It can help you:
- Attract New Customers: Create blogs or videos that solve problems.
- Build Trust: Share testimonials, success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
- Educate Your Audience: Offer guides, tutorials, or webinars.
- Engage Regularly: Use polls, quizzes, and comments to keep conversations flowing.
But in order to do all that you need to pay special attention to the following 4 critical factors of digital marketing:
- Content Marketing: The focus of this article (and your success).
- SEO: Making sure your content gets found online.
- Social Media Marketing: Engaging with your audience on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn.
- Email Marketing: Building connections through personalized emails.
All 4 are important factors that you need to balance and add to your content marketing mix in order to have the results you want.
And if all the above haven’t persuaded you for the importance of content marketing perhaps it has made you want to participate in the new content creator’s economy.
Dreaming of Becoming a Digital Content Creator?
To become a digital content creator is not so difficult as it seems at first. With the right approach and the right tools you can make wonders and make some money on the side.
Yes, actually, It’s simpler than you think. Here’s where to start today:
- Choose Your Focus: What topics light you up?
- Learn the Tools: Get familiar with writing, design, and video-editing software.
- Build Your Portfolio: Create content to showcase your style and skills.
- Network Like a Pro: Meet other creators and potential clients.
- Show Up Consistently: Keep creating, learning, and improving.
These of course are some of the things you can do to become a successful content marketer or/and a digital content creator.
The Bottom Line
Content marketing isn’t just a strategy; it’s a way to connect, inspire, and grow. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your efforts to the next level, the key is to focus on providing value.
Ready to learn more? Check out this guide to content marketing and start building your path to success today.
Originally published at Systems and Tools for Small Business (ST4SB) on December 10, 2024.
