The Content Marketing Playbook

Content marketing, a strategic marketing approach that focuses on producing and distributing relevant and valuable content, is an absolute must in today’s digital age. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or an amateur when it comes to content, you will always need to tap into content marketing if you want the most profitable results for your brand or business.

Each customer journey begins with content. You may think only of social media posts when you think of content, but the truth is, the scope of content goes far beyond a simple tweet or Instagram upload. Editorial content, for instance, involves thoughtful storytelling, strategically developed to create a clear connection with audiences. Meanwhile, interactive content (maps, timelines, etc.) guides prospects to immediate results that address specific ideas, challenges, or problems. Other content types include video and other types of visuals (like infographics) or podcasts, which have exploded in popularity in recent years.

With such a wide variety of content types, it’s no surprise that content has a wide variety of goals and purposes. Content brings forth emotion in audiences that will motivate them to take action (from learning more about your business to buying your products).  Content also works strategically:

1. To increase brand relevancy
2. Educate audiences on your services
3. Establish brand expertise
4. Convert sales 
5. Generates interest from consumers
6. Increases brand awareness
7. Convert leads into paying customers

Fortunately, content marketing works wonders for both B2B and B2C businesses. To appeal to both types of buyers, your business will need to focus on producing high-quality content, with clear goals and a defined audience. At the same time, B2B consumers pay more attention to statistics, facts, and figures that show the benefits of a product or service. Hard data, showcased in infographics or formal posts, for example, can better benefit you during a B2B buyer’s lengthier decision-making process. In contrast, B2C consumers are generally driven by their emotions—entertaining testimonies or hand-crafted stories that play on feelings can better serve a B2C audience. 

You can easily appeal to audiences by crafting narratives, whether through words, images, or videos. Consider reflecting universal human values in your stories to forge real, substantial bonds between your customers and you. No matter what, an entertaining or emotionally charged story will leave a marked impact.

Aside from crafting stories, success in content marketing requires crafting buyer personas. A buyer persona is a composite sketch or representation of your ideal customer, based on real data and market research. Buyer personas address customer demographics, behaviors, goals, and personalities. Well-crafted personas need to be populated with real, current data and should be succinct, distinct, and distilled. Paint a picture of your ideal customer with the most critical details—in doing so, you will understand buyers’ perspectives, their core needs, and how your business can best serve its target audience. 

In search of a full-service content marketing agency to provide these solutions? Look no further than StoryStudio, which offers cost-effective, leading creative solutions and tools with scalable, guaranteed readership to both local and national brands. All content related by the StoryStudio includes a promotional plan, while a combination of targeting tactics is customized to each program to ensure engagement with the desired reader. Ready to bring your brand’s content marketing experience to the next level?