Content Marketing

Remember when the term “Web 2.0” was all the rage? Everyone had his or her own perception of what it was. Some people believed that it was a technology. Some people believed it was a made up phrase – a buzzword so to speak used only for falsely enhancing a company’s image. Others believed it was specific software, and still others believed that it was a ‘theory’ of operating on the web.

In reality, Web 2.0 was a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of a site such as Wikipedia, Google, Amazon, YouTube and other websites that offer users a rich experience. Those same principles are still being used today.

Using an online bookstore as an example, it’s the difference between going to an online store and only being able to purchase a book and going to a store and being able to read reviews, leave reviews, participate in a chat room or blog, create favorites lists, and even communicate with the author. In many cases for websites that use this concept, the users define the content.

So if users are defining the content, how does an online marketer create content for the web?

Content Goals

With any website you have a few goals:

• You want to drive traffic to your website
• You want to keep people at your website
• You want to encourage people to return to your website
• And you want them to make purchases

These tasks are all still accomplished by the content that you provide. Whether it is in the form of an advertisement placed on another website, information in the form of articles, tutorials, eBooks, reports, or blogs, or it is sales material you want to accomplish two main goals.

1. You want to grab your prospect’s attention. This is most often accomplished with a compelling benefit driven headline or subject line.

2. You want to provide them a benefit. This means that the content must provide quality information.

The ability to interact with your customers makes marketing, and marketing copy easier, more interesting, and significantly more effective that offering your prospects a standard brochure and hoping that they buy.

How to Use These Principals to Your Company’s Advantage

With any website, the more you can make it interactive and user friendly the better it will be. Take a moment and consider your favorite website. When you’re sitting on the couch in the evening watching television, what website do you surf? Why do you surf it?

Conversely, when you’re looking for information on the web, what sites turn you off? What websites do you leave immediately?

Chances are the difference between a website that causes you to linger and spend hours of your time exploring and a website that is forgotten as soon as you click away, is the level of interactivity available.

I know it can be difficult to come up with fresh content on a regular schedule in order to keep your site visitors coming back. A small business owner has to wear many hats and often times, “content creator” isn’t one of them. If this is true in your case, let’s talk! Let me show you how my “done for you content” packages can make your life easier!

Click this link to check out my Content Packages!