Is it just me, or does it seem like there is a lot of content marketing awash in a sea of others that all sounds pretty much the same? I tire of reading opinion based in nothing more than – well, opinion! Does anyone post anything that is actually moving your brand forward? Are there secrets to content marketing that actually help you truly promote your products and services?

There is no shortage of opinion floating around social media pretending to be effective marketing. There are two things that make most of it utterly fruitless. One, it sounds too much like everything else on social media, so there is nothing that separates it from the other noise out there. A blog is a blog is a blog! I’ve seen it all before and it is often boring! Second, it really doesn’t help you market anything! It is just over-blown opinion. Have we filled a very effective marketing tool with ineffectual blather?

A different way to define effective content

Let me suggest a couple of ideas for effective content. First, define your market. Who are you trying to sell? This is very important. I like content that is focused on a group of people who are highly likely to buy something from you. Second, what do they want to know about your company, your brand, your business process, your philanthropic endeavors, etc.? Make this about them. If you were writing a script for a movie for this group of people, what would you include in your film to get them to buy a ticket to see it? If they were sci-fi geeks, you might want to create some outer space adventure with a hero, a villain, and a fight between the two of them with highly sophisticated weapons that blast laser beams. Content on your website or on social media should be approached in the same way. So let’s say you are trying to sell a group of engineers. What is engaging to engineers? What would need to be included to get them to buy that movie ticket? Science, study, charts, results and a very good storyline. Don’t forget to tell a good story because no one enjoys reading poorly written content.

Your content should not be for the masses, but for the very specific target market you are trying to sell. The engineers may love the science and study part of your content. However, that may not work if your target group is parents of teenagers. Then you might want to focus on topics like motivating adolescent children, nutrition in a hurried world, finding the right college, etc. Rule one: this is not about you, it is about your target market. Define your market and then figure out what captivates them.

Use a marketing medium that makes sense for your audience

Just like you need content that is customized to the likes of your target market, you also need a medium that they prefer. Some of that is defined by age demographics. You will not find many Millennials spending time on Facebook. Other preferences can be defined by the credibility of the medium. A social medium that allows shouting digital insults at one another is not going to attract many highly-skilled business professionals. Rule two: find out where your target groups are spending their time and post on those mediums. Some of our clients find that business groups on social mediums like LinkedIn are a good place to post content.

Are you really marketing or just giving free advice?

Here is where many content writers get tripped up. They have been taught that marketing is a bad thing to include in content, especially blogs, podcasts and how-to videos. So the end result of their content marketing has nothing to do with marketing (aka getting people to buy your stuff). However, there is a specific marketing function for the content you post. In fact, it is a crucial piece of the steps a customer needs to take to buy from you. Effective content makes your target market aware of your brand. It helps define the brand – what it stands for and what it can do to make their life better. It also helps separate you from your competition. What do you do that they don’t do? It sets you apart as an expert in your industry – someone who should be approached if the customer needs help solving a problem. The difference between content marketing and advertising is this: content does it through a narrative instead of a quick sell. Once again, think of a movie. It tells a story. Advertising is the commercial they play before the movie begins to let you know what they are selling in the concession stand in the lobby. It makes a quick point and entices you to buy now. The movie is going to move much slower, but it is selling you on a concept. They both move you to action, they just go about it in a different methods. Rule three: don’t give up marketing in your content, just do so in a different method than you do with your advertising.

Content that is not moving you closer to a sale is not doing a good job of marketing. Highly effective content marketing involves understanding your target market and gearing your postings to them, distributing it to them in a medium they prefer, and using a creative narrative to draw them closer to a sale. Evaluate what you are posting. Are you writing blogs, creating video, producing podcasts, and posting photos that are not moving the marketing meter forward? Does your content sound like everything else that is on social media? If so, it is time to change now! Make content marketing truly work for you in the advancement of your business.