Whatever you’re selling, people out there are looking for someone like you. So why aren’t they choosing you?

Look at me! Look at my product! Look at my business! Traditional marketing is all about promoting you and your business. If you make enough noise, people will hear you and you will get results, that is true. In the same way, a caveman drags the deer carcass back to his cave, you too shall have your supper.  

What if I told you there is a way to make the deer come to you? Imagine using a strategic approach where you create and distribute something valuable, relevant and consistent to attract and acquire the deer (or elk or moose or reindeer, if you prefer). Only instead of deer, it’s a defined target audience, and that something valuable is content.

Content marketing is an inbound marketing approach. Outbound goes hunting. Inbound lures you in. Outbound shouts. Inbound engages. Inbound marketing nurtures a productive relationship between consumers and your brand. You’re not interrupting them. You are not that annoying 5-sec ad that shows up before a YouTube video. You are providing value. They are tuning into you because you are creating content they actually crave. You are also placing your brand’s perspectives and value proposition in front of consumers on a consistent basis. Studies have shown that 90% of consumers find custom content useful, and companies with blogs generate 67% more leads than companies without. Not to mention that Google’s algorithms love custom content, which means better SEO and traffic to your website.

Content comes in various shapes and sizes, including:

•       Social media content
•       Illustration/Photos
•       eNewsletters
•       Videos
•       Blogs
•       Infographics
•       Podcasts
•       Microsites and lots more

No matter which tactics you employ, always remember: the key differentiator of content marketing is providing value. It should never feel like advertising. When done right, the results are astronomical. We’ll give you an example.  

BlendTec is a company that sells blenders. They created a video series named Will It Blend? on their microsite to showcase how powerful their products are. In the Don’t Try This At Home tab, there are videos of their company founder blending all sorts of objects including iPhones, Plungers, Cue sticks, Valentines Roses, DVDs, Super Glue, Remotes etc. Their brand went viral and product sales increased five-fold, to say the least. Do you think BlendTec would have achieved the same results with traditional advertising?

There’s no limit to what a lot of creativity and hard work can accomplish. Whether you are trying to increase sales, boost customer retention, build brand awareness or generate leads, it’s good to know where you are going and the work that needs to be done. Start thinking about what your business can do, and then take the time to map out a solid strategy.

If you’re curious to learn more about content and what it can do for your business, call us at 0743 830 663. Digital For Africa offers classes on Content Marketing as well as Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Conversion Rate Optimization, Strategy and Planning, SEO and Media Buying.

Any burning questions? Just want to say hello? Talk to us in the comments below!

By Barbara Jebet is a content strategist and brand storyteller.

By Barbara Jebet, a content strategist, and brand storyteller.