Content is essential for any website. It includes text for users to read and for search engines to crawl, graphics to capture attention and showcase products, and video, audio, and animation to add a touch of digital flair.

While content makes up the majority of your site, it also serves as the centerpiece of inbound marketing. This approach transforms a blog into a tool for digital engagement, often proving more effective than traditional outbound marketing methods.

Inbound Marketing Basics

Inbound marketing is an advertising philosophy catered to the digital age. Inbound marketing is based on the idea that your ideal audience is already out there; as a marketer, your job is to attract them and convince them to use your product or service.

Every inbound marketing strategy starts by creating value. Most value can be classified as informational, entertaining, or economic. If you offer solutions, provide entertainment, or sell a quality product, audiences will have a good reason to visit and interact with your site.

Any type of value will attract traffic; if you offer a service, the buyers will come. However, internet marketers have found that free value is one of the easiest ways to draw consistent traffic from the broadest possible audience. An increase in traffic typically leads to an increase in conversions, which is why so many online companies have adopted a marketing model centered around free content.

Most free value takes the form of digital content. Giving away physical goods is unsustainable because they incur regular material and production costs. In comparison, digital content can be created once and referenced an infinite number of times. Blog posts, eBooks, articles, and videos are relatively inexpensive to produce and can result in a massive surge of traffic – making them the perfect choice to give away for free.

Once you have a piece of content, you need to distribute it to your audience. The internet is a big place, and people won’t know your content exists unless you tell them. Distribution is typically accomplished by posting your content on your website or another platform and then advertising that content through social media, paid campaigns, and SEO.

The last step of inbound marketing is to get your new visitors to convert. If a million people read your blog post, at least a few of them will be interested in your services. Inbound marketers use conversion optimization techniques to increase the number of users who join a mailing list, buy a product, or contact your office to schedule an appointment.

The actual methods used for inbound marketing are likely to change along with the technology that’s used. However, the idea that audiences respond to value is unlikely to change – and as long as people want value, they’re going to want interesting and relevant content.

Content Marketing and Search Engines

Digital content fits perfectly into an inbound marketing strategy. First, you create valuable content in the form of blogs or videos. Next, interested audiences find and engage with your content. And finally, some of those users like your site and turn into actual long-term customers, thus paying back your marketing investment.

But content also appeals very strongly to the way search engines function. Algorithms are amazing at interacting with text, and your rankings will often be determined by the content found on the various pages of your site.

Google takes site relevance very seriously. Their goal is to provide results that match queries, and they adjust the rankings to match. Pogoing occurs when your site hits the top of the rankings one day and drops down the next; this typically happens when your site doesn’t have content that matches the keywords you want to rank for. Content marketing prevents pogoing by providing a steady stream of relevant content that audiences and search engines love.

In general, updating and refreshing content is good for Google. The more relevant content you publish, the better you’ll rank. And that’s why nearly every business, no matter the industry, has a company blog.

Content and the Audience Relationship

There’s one more reason why content is beloved by modern marketing professionals: it’s the perfect opportunity to define and strengthen your brand. Every piece you publish reflects on your brand identity, and you can use this to sculpt the way audiences see your company and the services you provide.

Depending on your approach, content marketing can often be used to build an online community. Fans who engage with your articles and videos on social media are potential customers for your actual services. This engagement also gives you another chance to define your company’s tone of voice and general social approach.

Content creation shouldn’t be the entirety of your marketing strategy, but it serves as a strong foundation. From blogs to video tutorials, investing in online content can help your business establish a legitimate presence online.

How to Run a Successful Content Strategy

The principles of content marketing aren’t limited to any particular medium. Whether you write blogs or film videos, you’ll still use the fundamental principles of art and advertising to create something audiences will love. And regardless of the product you’re advertising, the following principles will help turn your content strategy into a success.

Conduct Audience Research

No matter where you publish your content, you’re only going to get so many views. As a marketer, your job is to ensure both that you’re getting the right views and that your content is relevant to the views that you’re getting.

The easiest way to reach both of these goals is to conduct thorough audience research before every project. You should know who your ideal audience is, which parts of the internet they frequent, and what they’re looking for out of your company. Then, you need to come up with content that appeals to members of your researched demographic.

Audience research typically involves gathering data, engaging with your audience on social media, and reviewing the tactics of successful competitors. You’ll probably conduct a hefty amount of audience research when you first implement your marketing strategy. However, you should also remember to update this research regularly; otherwise, you might miss an important change in your audience’s attitude.

Publish Regularly

The internet moves quickly, and the only way to stay relevant is to continue providing something new. Evergreen content is key, but it can’t replace the value of regular updates and topical information that your audience is actually looking for.

Updates aren’t just good for readers – they’re also important for search engines. Updating and refreshing content is good for Google rankings; the algorithm favors content that is recent, relevant, and up-to-date. This is why you’ll often see marketers reworking old yet successful pieces of content into something that can be used in the modern digital sphere.

How often you should publish content really depends on the tastes of your audience, the size of your budget, and the overall goals of your marketing strategy. Start with a weekly blog schedule and a consistent social media presence. You can always increase your content production when you see an increase in traffic and interest.

Create Evergreen Content

Evergreen content is key to a successful content marketing strategy. Unlike topical content, which covers news, trends, and people, evergreen content remains relevant with the passing of time.

Evergreen content is important because it provides lasting value to your audience. A great evergreen post will be bookmarked, shared, and referenced for years to come. This positions your company as a stable part of the internet and increases your rapport with both search engines and audiences.

Evergreen and topical aren’t necessarily contradictory terms. You can write about today’s news while still providing useful information for future audiences. As you’re writing, try these tricks to keep your content timeless and relevant to future users:

Mention versions. If you need to talk about a specific piece of tech or software, always tell users what version you’re working with. This makes it easy for future users to sort timeless advice from differences in the software.

Cite your sources. Interlinking is great for users and even better for your SEO strategy. Link to other sources to give your users more information and continue providing value even when your topical content expires.

Discuss theory. Technology changes, but successful theories tend to hold true. Tell your users why things work and what philosophy you’re using to drive your actions. Even if the world moves on from your tutorial, you’ll remain relevant for your contributions to the field as a whole.

Stay Up-to-Date

Content marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Even if you conduct a vast amount of audience research and establish a tone of voice that truly resonates with your audience, there’s still a chance that your marketing team could fall behind the times.

The easiest way to prevent this is to stay in touch with your audience and your industry. Follow your competitors on social media. Engage with the content your audience likes. And above all, stay open to new developments in technology and theory. You don’t need to be at the front of the wave, but you don’t want to end up underneath it.

The Different Flavors of Marketing Content

Advertising develops alongside other forms of content creation. If you know what you’re doing, you can use nearly any type of content for inbound marketing. The question is whether you can make something that’s valuable and accurately represents your brand.

Written Content

Written content is arguably the most accessible type of content there is. Anyone can find and read written content, regardless of their browser or the strength of their internet connection. The only true limits of this medium are barriers of education and language; that’s why, depending on your industry, investing in translating services can be a great idea.

Written content is also one of the easiest types of content to create and publish. As proof of this, almost every major website has a blog, even if it only includes a few thought pieces and news updates. Most marketers already have a good command of communication and language, which is why you’ll often see marketers working as their own copywriters – especially in the beginning.

Anything with words can technically be thought of as written content. However, there are a few types of content that have stood the test of time and become staples of the online marketing world.

Blog posts are short pieces of content that can be produced and published quickly. They can take a variety of forms, including opinion pieces, quick tutorials, and top ten lists. Most companies blog on their own sites, but you can also generate quite a bit of traffic by publishing guest posts on other popular sites.

Articles are longer pieces of content that explore a topic in more detail. Articles are usually structured, well-researched, and carefully edited before publication. Like blog posts, articles can be used as guest posts to draw in additional traffic.

eBooks are downloadable digital pieces that are longer than an article but shorter than an actual published book. You can write an eBook on any topic, and the tone can range from casual to highly professional. eBooks are usually formatted as PDFs and are often used as lead magnets.

White papers are heavily-researched articles that are mainly of interest to members of a specific industry. Like eBooks, white papers are usually formatted as PDFs and offered as digital downloads.

Case studies are detailed descriptions of your business’s projects and successes. The structure typically includes a project’s goals, methodology, and results. Case studies add credibility to your business, and they’re also incredibly valuable as tone and philosophy references for future members of your marketing team.

Visual Content

Pictures reach across language and education barriers to express thoughts and ideas, so it’s no surprise that visual content is at the heart of the modern internet. Images get more engagement than written content, especially on social media. Pictures are expressive, sharable, and easy to consume – which means you definitely need to include them in your content strategy.

Image-based content isn’t really evergreen, and it’s also difficult for search engines to index. In general, use visual content to boost engagement, but always include your actual value in a text or video-based format. It’s kind of like the power of handwritten direct mail in that the look is what draws them in, but it’s the text that seals the deal. 

Visual content can be anything from a single photo to a full-length comic. But if you’re marketing on social media, there are a few types of visual content you’re more likely to see.

Infographics are images that explain something with light text and visual aids. Infographics have a habit of going viral, which is why many marketers create an infographic out of their most popular blog posts.

Photos are easy to produce and help audiences engage directly with your brand. Every brand should have a set of professional photo assets, but you can also take more casual photos to post on social media or enhance a post on your blog.

Quote cards are an interesting social media trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. A quote card consists of text positioned on either an image or a solid-color background. The text can be a line from a blog post, a message to your audience, or something relevant to your industry. Quote cards are highly sharable and also make a great way to advertise larger pieces of content.

Animated gifs make full use of the digital medium. Gifs can be any length, but they’re best presented as a simple loop that’s a few seconds long. For an easy social media post, make a few animated gifs from your most popular piece of video content.

Audio and Video Content

If images get more engagement than articles, videos get far more engagement than images. Audiences love watching, engaging with, and sharing videos of all types – which is why more and more brands are adopting a video marketing strategy.

The flashiest advertising videos require a sizable budget and may not always be worth your investment. However, even small marketing departments can create their own digital studios with little more than a good camera and a video editing program. Depending on your brand, you can create anything from in-depth tutorials to flashy product reviews.

As media formats progress, the line between video and audio production has become slightly blurred. Many podcasts are recorded in front of a camera, and nearly all good videos feature music and a reasonable level of audio design.

Developing Your Content

Your content development process will be unique to your marketing team. Decide who your audience is and what kind of content you want to make for them. Then, use these steps to turn your ideas into something amazing.

Getting Inspiration

Before you can make content, you need to have something to make that content about. Without interesting and engaging topics, your blog will read a lot more like an ad for your latest product line.

Start by making a list of the topics that you care about as a member of your industry. What do you wish your customers knew more about? How is your professional perspective unique? Your first brainstorming session will probably result in a list of a dozen topics that are worth exploring.

Unfortunately, you can only generate so many ideas without outside influence. Your next step as a content creator is to get involved with your industry’s media scene. Follow popular personalities on Twitter, read industry blogs, and join groups on Facebook, Reddit, or Quora.

Keyword research is another great way to generate content ideas. Use a service like Keyword Planner or Keyword Tool to search for keywords relevant to your industry. Your keyword tool will show you the popularity of your chosen keyword and recommend similar phrases with more traffic.

Don’t forget to take advantage of browser extensions to help manage your sources of inspiration. Feedly aggregates RSS feeds, and Diigo lets you save and annotate your resources. Finally, Followr automatically favorites tweets related to certain topics; go back through your favorites later, and you’ll see a host of new content ideas.

Create a document that contains every topic you’ve ever come up with, and highlight your favorites. Some ideas are great but come to you at the wrong time; if you keep a list, you’ll have somewhere to look the next time your well of inspiration runs dry.

Making the Magic Happen

Content is art – even when it’s made with advertising in mind. You can produce any kind of content that your audience is interested in, but you should probably make your choice based on your marketing team’s abilities. Blogging is a popular place to start because if you know how to market, there’s a good chance you also know how to write.

Regardless of what you’re making, you should follow the same three-step creation process.

Draft an outline. Always start by defining the structure of your piece. You can fill out this outline yourself, or you can give it to a member of your team as a content brief. Don’t stress about this step; loose outlines are better than no outline at all, and you can always make changes as the piece nears completion.

Write, record, and create. The content creation process turns concepts and ideas into real digital assets. The way you handle this process will define your final product; whether you write your own blogs or hire a freelancer, remember to treat your content creator with appreciation and respect.

Edit and refine. Nothing is ever truly done on the first draft. Everything you publish will impact your brand identity, so always take the time to review it. If you write your own content, ask someone else to look it over. If you outsource your content, read it through before you put it up on your own site.

When to Outsource

Content marketing is effective, but it can’t hold up an entire marketing strategy on its own. Depending on your role in your company, you may find that writing blog posts and putting together graphics simply takes up too much of your time.

Luckily, the online world is full of talented creatives who are ready to help your business look its best. Be prepared to outsource any form of content creation that you’re not ready to produce on a professional level. If your department is large enough, you may even consider adding a dedicated writer, designer, or videographer to your staff.

Distributing Your Content

Content is king, but it’s only as valuable as the audience who sees it. Don’t let your perfectly-tuned blog post go unread, and don’t let that amazing tutorial video die from a lack of views. Modern content distribution is all about getting audiences to notice and engage.

Hosting the Content

As a general rule, your marketing content should be hosted on your website. Otherwise, how will your audience trace the content back to the services you offer? This is why most online businesses have a “blog” or “news” page located somewhere on their site.

Blogs, articles, and downloads are easy to put on your site, but videos are not so easily hosted. Try publishing video content through a platform like YouTube or Vimeo. Then, embed the videos on your website or link to them on social media.

Should you decide to host your content on an external site, make sure it always links back to your company’s landing page. Engagement is valuable, but you should never forget that conversions are your ultimate goal.

Getting Attention

Once your content is online, it’s time to get the attention and engagement you’re looking for. Traffic generation is the inbound marketer’s true talent, so you’ll definitely want to have your favorite SEO professional on hand.

Start by posting your content on social media. Many people rely on Facebook or Twitter in lieu of a traditional blog RSS feed. Remember, you can re-share old content if it’s relevant; just don’t spam your audience with the same thing multiple times in a row.

Many brands also find success with an email newsletter. Newsletters allow you to send fresh content directly to interested audiences, and they also offer a great opportunity for more advertising later down the line. Try offering a lead magnet like an eBook or a whitepaper in exchange for newsletter subscriptions.

And finally, remember that you’re allowed to advertise your content as if it were any other product. Promote your posts on social media, or run a PPC campaign for your video series. The only limits are your creativity and your understanding of the marketing field.

Content marketing attracts new audiences, establishes your brand identity, and prevents pogoing on Google and other search engines. Whether you publish a single eBook or start running a successful industry blog, a little content creation can do wonders for your company’s online presence.