I opened my email today and there was a notice from LinkedIn letting me know the top articles and blog posts they had picked out for me to read. This is all based on the summary of information they keep of me – facts I have willingly put on my profile – plus my activity on their site. I get a notice like this nearly every day from different sources. Most of the time, I totally ignore them and delete the link. Today I thought about why I ignore most content marketing like this. It is one thing to write an article and post it to boost your social media presence and expand your brand’s recognition. It is another thing to engage people to the point that they actually read what you have written.

Let’s get a good definition of content marketing. Content marketing is any sharing of information, from an organization or an individual, that lends advice, opinions or other valuable information in the area of their expertise. Why would you use it instead of traditional advertising? It is thought to be more reliable than advertising, which will only promote the best features of a product or service in an attempt to sell the customer on the spot. Content marketing is the antithesis of advertising. It is designed to build trust in the company or individual that is considered the expert contributor. That trust is then used to leverage the customer in a rather subtle way, to draw their own conclusions about a product or service based on what the expert has told them.

Content marketing often comes written in a blog or an article published in social media. However, it can also be in the form of other mediums, such as audio podcasts and videos. There are a lot of reasons to use content marketing as a promotional tool. It helps with SEO, it sets you up as an expert in your field, it helps boost awareness of your brand. However, if your content reads the same as every other blogger, what have you really done to set yourself apart from the competition? I believe in using content marketing that is appealing and relevant to your target market. Here are some tips we use to do that for our customers.

Don’t just write about what you produce, explain how you produce it. Especially if you are in a technical field, the fascination for those that follow you is the how, not the what.

Use photos or graphics with your blog and social media posts. Use maps and charts. We live in a visual world. Pictures help draw the attention of your readers.

Explain how you solve problems with your product or service. Think of a post as an epic drama, where there is an introduction, a problem that causes tension, and then a resolution that saves the day.

Everyone has a limited product or service line. If you have run out of things to say after a couple of blogs, tweets or posts, hire a professional writer who understands what you are doing.

Write really good headlines. Many people skim the news. Get your point across in a well thought out headline that summarizes your points.

Make sure you are posting your content on social media. There are a couple reasons why. First, not everyone uses just one form of social media – there are dozens of choices. You have more reach when you post on multiple formats. Second, content marketing should be anchored on your web site with social media linked back to it. This will drive traffic back to you.

Consider writing about the success of your customers and boosting what they do through your social interaction. We often do this through case studies that show the solutions customers have produced using your products and services. We do this for a couple of reasons. First, there is a limited amount of things anyone can say about your products and services, but there should be an ongoing list of jobs you are doing for your customers that you could write about. Second, nearly everyone likes to be told they are doing a good job. Don’t pat yourself on the back. Pat your customers on the back.

Consider using video or audio. You can pack a lot of words into a three-minute segment. Not everyone has the time to sit and read through your blog. Put it in a format that can be listened to while your customer is going about their day.

Whatever you do, make it relevant. No one really has time to read or listen to blather. Content marketing is designed to give pertinent information to your customers that they will find useful. Be creative, be genuine, but by all means, make sure it is germane to your target market.