A beginners' guide to content marketing
2015 looks set to be the year for content-driven marketing, but as Google constantly updates its SEO algorithms, continuously resetting the parameters of what makes content successful, it is difficult to know how best to approach custom content creation.
Media Agency Group's Simon La Band.
Research shows that 72% of marketers believe branded content to be more effective than magazine advertisements, and this will only increase as more people focus their efforts on online research when looking for products and services. The average top 10 keyword search result on Google contains at least 2000 words, so it is obvious that content is vital to search engine success, however the content length itself shouldn’t be your main focus, but rather the quality of what you’re producing.
Any pages which can be considered click-bait (‘This celebrity never thought their secret would be revealed. They were wrong! Click here to read more’) or have a high bounce rate (a webpage closed almost immediately after being opened, usually due to misleading titles and links) can cause a post to score poorly on Google and fall down the rankings. Alternatively, well-written content can set your company apart as an authoritative voice on hot industry topics and a go-to source of specialist expertise .
Readers of company blogs are generally expecting industry-specific knowledge packaged in journalist-quality prose. It’s a difficult formula to perfect and, generally speaking, staff with the right mix of skills won’t have time every week to dedicate to a regular blog feature. This is why around 62% of companies outsource their content creation to agencies, where content writers have time to learn about the client’s industry and present the pieces in interesting ways. It is worth considering that authorship is no longer taken into consideration in Google’s SEO algorithms, so an ability to target keywords and optimise headlines is essential for any content writer.
Of course ‘content’ isn’t just written work, it covers a range of areas, each with their own benefits.
Video is perhaps the most versatile of the content types due to how many platforms are now video compatible – Vine, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn all allow video uploads. Videos also allow a high level of creativity and are a fun way of presenting information to prospective and current clients.
Company blogs are becoming more popular as they allow you the chance to present yourself as the generator of new ideas in the industry, and if you research what topics ad words are popular you can contribute to current discussions. People use LinkedIn to keep informed on industry news and the latest industry ideas, and are likely to share any blogs they see on LinkedIn which may benefit their contacts. Like all other areas of content, finding a hot topic and creating an interesting piece can lead to your work being shared by many users across multiple platforms, so keep your work fun and informative!
Infographics are an interesting way to present information on products offered and the current market, and can be used to draw attention to facts which make your product desirable; readers don’t always have the time to read a piece of written content so infographics are an attractive and informative way to catch the eye of readers and get your point across quickly.
Simon La Band is digital sales director at Media Agency Group.
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Media Agency Group
Media Agency Group is an advertising agency specialising in the purchasing and planning of all media formats across the spectrum of advertising.
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