Content is king” is one of those marketing buzz-phrases you hear all the time, but it’s not just hype. Strategic and relevant content sets your brand apart in the minds of customers facing a barrage of marketing messages – especially in the noisy last weeks of the holiday season. Here are four ways to use content marketing to give your sales one more boost before the end of the year.
Be an expert.
Positioning your brand as a thought leader is a great way to establish credibility and build trust with customers. There are several simple ways to go about doing this, including online news releases, blogging and social media. Try the following:
- Write a news release or article commenting on a trend relevant to your business.
- Write a list (relevant to your industry) featuring holiday advice, tips and Debunk a holiday myth, or explain a complicated issue so customers
- can understand.
Tip: at the end of the year, many readers are particularly interested in predictions for the upcoming year or recaps of important trends from the last.
Be a commentator
Keep a pulse on the latest news and trends surrounding your industry and comment on what is happening! Interact with other thought leaders in your field, ask questions, and be part of the conversation.
- Share relevant articles, comment on those articles.
Provide opinions in your own company blog and other social channels.
Go social
The nature of social media makes sharing content easier than ever. However, social networks are not the place for overt marketing messages, so your brand needs to figure out a way to add value to the conversation. How can you do this? For small- and medium-sized businesses, social can be a great way to get involved in the local community; opportunities for this abound during the holiday season.
- Connect with what people are already talking about.
Find out what matters to your customers and get involved!
Crowdsource
Generate a conversation by asking people to share their stories.Take your content marketing a step further and actually co-create content with your customers. Get them to talk about the underlying message of your brand as it relates to them on a personal level.
- Ask customers to post videos or pictures of their favorite holiday traditions.
Create a fun way for customers to interact with loved ones through online greeting cards.
Content marketing is all about connecting with individuals. In order to cut through the noise, your business should offer people something other than just straight marketing. By positioning your brand as a credible source for industry news and trends – adding value to shoppers’ experiences – customers will be more likely to reward your business with their loyalty all year long.