By teamsf
In an age of constant noise of information, how can any company expect to cut through and reach consumers in a meaningful way to become a trusted brand? The answer may seem a bit strange, but to cut through the noise of information you will need more information? Yes, more information!
It may seem counter intuitive to fight the noise of information by adding to what’s already out there, but information’s is among the most valuable tools in any marketing strategy. And in order to deliver effective information, you have to listen first. What is the market saying about your industry, your products or your services? Understanding through listening will help you target your information to meet the market interest.
In fact, listening is the basis of trust in relationships, be they business or personal. Listening enables you to determine what information will be most valuable and relevant to your customers. That information, then, becomes the key to building trusted relationships. Listening is accomplished through research from everyone about keywords being typed into the search engines to discussions in forums and social communities.
The new marketing isn’t about self-promotion; it’s about giving customers what they need to become educated consumers. This is the age of:
- Information marketing,
- Education marketing,
- Content marketing
If you want customers to see your brand as a trusted information source, you need to think like an information provider, not just a provider of goods or services. By empowering customers with relevant news and information, a company becomes one-half of a trusted relationship.
So, what are some methods for you to distribute information through content marketing on the Internet? First we would recommend reviewing a previous post on our blog related to Content Marketing here. Content Marketing is not directly about your website, but rather what is happening overall within your business and industry sector. This is a communications art and outreach effort that does not involve direct selling, but is rewarded with sales and loyalty. Content Marketing is a supportive method of selling via quality, relevant and valuable information which:
- Educates your customers
- Shows your authority in your field
- Allows prospects to find you through multiple sources
Your brand is what people read about and talk about online. Isn’t it better to be part of shaping the conversation?
By estherl
The volume of content in the digital marketplace has been growing exponentially over the past few years. Individuals, social communities and businesses are all discovering how powerful content, article and news press release writing can be as part of their digital marketing efforts. Still, it can be challenging to find staff with time to physically manage the process of developing and distributing content about your business. This may leave you wondering, “Who really has time for content distribution?” This discussion helps identify reasons why finding time for content development and distribution truly matters.
First, let’s consider that in order for the search engines to provide responses to users’ search requests, there must be content that is indexed from web pages. The importance of content has been a reality since the commercialization of the Internet in the early 1990s; and while much has evolved in regards to search engine optimization (SEO), it remains important for a business to distribute content to increase visibility and promotion of their web site. Just having your web site has not been sufficient for a few years.
Imagine the steps associated with Content Distribution as a collective outreach program to let people and the search engines know about a web site. A good content distribution platform includes news networks, social communities, forums, blogs, video communities, cross-linking techniques, and a variety of search engine related strategies. This platform should be constantly refined and used across all digital advertising and marketing efforts.
In all of the above cases, the content which is posted (text, images, and videos) can be set up to carry a link back to a web site. The process is called “posting” and posted content has a shelf life of years. Look at any search engine; and, it will contain content that was posted to the Internet in the early 1990s. Posted content provides public relations and can help drive traffic to a specific web site from more places than just the search engines. The process also carries with it the possibility for viral or third party distribution of web site links.
If posting is done successfully, a business may consider their web site address to be “cast in stone.” Over a 12 month period, from direct efforts – as well as through viral and third party sources, a business web site may increase the number of links to their web site into the thousands. Direct staff may have posted to some places, while, others are created through the viral process, or through third party web sites seeking information beyond a business owner’s direct control. Each day, week, and month, the number of links grows even without a business owner’s direct input. The process does not have an end point, however generates exponential response.
In summary, while the distribution of content certainly does take time and is labor intensive, it produces results that are key components to successful web site marketing.
Are you currently engaged in content marketing? Are you realizing effective results? Let us know what’s working for you; and remember, if you need support with your content marketing efforts, SmartFinds Internet Marketing and our team of experienced writers can provide you with assistance.
