Bring Your Marketing Strategy to Life with People-Centered Content
Content marketing is marketing.
According to Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor for the Content Marketing Institute, the first law of today’s content marketing is “Always be orchestrating.”
In the face of generative AI, the decline of cookies and distrust in media, organizations can no longer treat content as a siloed function. Instead, Rose explains, you must integrate compelling content throughout the marketing process to meet revenue and retention goals.
A good rule of thumb is to treat content as an integral part of your value proposition, alongside product quality and exceptional service.
Your first step in content creation is to center the needs of your audience. From written blog articles to demonstration videos, your owned content must consistently deliver useful answers, address pain points and offer the solutions your customers need.
#1: Recognize How Content Impacts the Customer Experience
When someone visits your website, what’s the first thing they need to see?
The answer depends on your industry and audience goals.
If you run a music venue, folks want to know how to order tickets.
For financial institutions, customers want quick and easy access to their account information.
For industrial equipment, prospects need details on your product and how to get a quote.
Consider different stages in the decision funnel so that users can customize their experience. Some prospects will be ready to make a purchase, while others are still comparing your offerings with those of competitors. People-centered content begins with audience needs, then works backward to address those needs.
Listen to the most common questions and pain points you hear from customers, then tailor your content to address those.
Verify the accuracy of your information.
Establish credibility by highlighting your subject-matter expertise.
Use conversational language that mirrors the communication style of your audience.
Build trust by including success stories or testimonials.
Make it easy to contact you or schedule an appointment.
#2: Build Your Owned Content Ecosystem
Owned media refers to content your organization creates and controls. Examples include websites, blog articles, videos, infographics, brochures and service manuals.
Earned media, by contrast, includes unpaid mentions of your brand by third-party websites, newspapers or magazines. Advertising, also known as paid media, is content you place in front of your target audience in exchange for payment to a third-party platform.
FormPak offers a clear example of an owned media ecosystem that conveys product information, highlights expertise and meets visitor needs. The company designs and builds bulk bag handling equipment for dry goods industries. Their website, social media platforms and printed documents offer a wealth of in-depth product information and industry knowledge.
The FormPak website highlights the company’s 50-plus years in business and extensive knowledge of trends, history, safety and regulations.
The video library includes demonstrations on installation, operation, maintenance and safe handling guidelines.
Case studies provide examples of how FormPak customizes equipment to meet the needs of individual customers, from brewing and craft beverages to hazardous substances.
Technical documents let users examine detailed specs, AutoCAD drawings and operating manuals.
A news section provides information about equipment selection, safety and other relevant issues.
#3: Optimize Content to Match User Intent
Search engine optimization enables prospects to find you. Relevant content forms the heart of any successful SEO strategy.
Long-Tail Keywords
Use tools like SEMRush or Google Keyword Planner to find the best match between audience intent and your area of expertise. Google’s move toward a “zero-click” results page, along with increasing emphasis on authoritativeness, make it harder than ever to rank for high-volume keywords. Long-tail keywords give you the advantage of high relevance and lower difficulty to rank higher on search results.
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness
Google’s human raters use EEAT guidelines to evaluate the quality of search results and make adjustments to the company’s search algorithm. The EEAT abbreviation includes the following criteria:
Experience means evidence of direct personal experience with a topic. It may include the years you’ve been in business or your own individual experience in your industry.
Expertise includes evidence of subject matter knowledge, such as depth, accuracy, professional credentials and reputable sources.
Authoritativeness means your content has earned coverage and mentions from other reputable websites.
Trustworthiness includes transparency about who creates your content, along with clear contact and customer service information.
Meta-Data
Your meta-data gives search engines yet another signal of relevant content. Include appropriate keywords to give search engine crawlers and users a snapshot of the content they’ll find on your website:
Title tags
Header tags
Alt tags for all images
Meta description
#4: Integrate Content Across All Marketing Channels
Although Google remains the leader when it comes to search, other tools have gained ground in recent years. Younger consumers often look for product or service information on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram. AI tools like ChatGPT have also seen growing usage.
These trends make it more important than ever to integrate content marketing into your overall marketing strategy. Your goal is to provide the information your audience needs when and where they need it.
Use TikTok, YouTube and Instagram Reels for demonstrations, tutorials, unboxings and other engaging video content.
LinkedIn offers an excellent way to promote your business to a B2B audience.
Facebook remains a popular channel for promoting offline events, special promotions and goods for sale.
Boost Your Brand with People-Centered Content
Quality written content enhances your customers’ experience and helps you reach your business goals. Want to learn more? Call me at 417-233-1589 or reach out online to get started!
