Just as in 2013, content marketing success is a primary goal of most businesses for 2014 — maybe even more so this year. In 2014, content marketers will need to keep their wits about them and keep an eye on the competition to get the returns they expect.
The following guidelines are a good start if you’d like to leverage content intelligently in your quest to build your audience and sales.
Hyper-Target Your Audience
Knowing exactly what your target audience wants is pretty much the name of the game these days. If you’re not an analytics ninja by now, become one. While knowing what your customers want now is clutch, it’s even more important to guess what they’ll want next. Analytics can help you to figure that out. Segmenting potential buyers based on their preferences and predilections will make all the difference if you commit to the effort.
Cater to the Thought Leaders
A big part of affiliate marketing nowadays is creating a following and using the most influential members of said following to get the rest to convert. Typically, the most successful affiliates identify which of their followers are the most respected and cater to their viewpoints and preferences. While this approach may be shallow, it definitely gets results. Make sure that the “thought leaders” within your following are on your side.
Bring in the Uber-Sociable
Generally speaking, “thought leaders” are good at promoting specific offers that catch their fancy. However, they’re not always the best at sharing your brand or identity with others in a less promotional, more organic manner. That’s where the social media butterflies come in. Try to attract the uber-sociable characters that’ll do all of your promotion for you.
Guest Blog Intelligently
There’s been quite a bit of talk in the last few years regarding guest blogging and its miraculous impact on overall SEO effectiveness. Guest blogging in 2014 will be all about truly boosting the cumulative health of a content marketing campaign rather than merely gaining a few backlinks. If guest posts don’t enrich the web properties on which they’re hosted, don’t bother publishing them in the first place.
Make Your Blogs Transcendent Hubs
The hallmark of effective content is that it’s more than the sum of its parts. Content that gets results brings together people from different backgrounds and walks of life, thereby creating a community that’s unique and fulfilling. In effect, it goes beyond its immediate purpose of informing and creates a movement that resonates with followers. Granted, doing this reliably isn’t exactly a cakewalk. If you can’t accomplish this yourself, hire someone that can.
Content Marketing That Delivers
In order for content to be truly effective, it must establish a meaningful connection with the intended audience. Regardless of your goals in the digital marketing realm, content should be the foundation upon which you build your promotional strategy. Shoot for where the content marketing world will be in six months rather than where it’s been and you’ll be more than happy with the returns.
