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Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

Picture this, you have a business (old or new), and you are ready to smash your target market but have you considered your content marketing strategy? 

Your strategy, which worked in 2020, may have been successful then, but the likelihood is that it will not be successful in 2023. Traditional marketing methods of the past are becoming less desirable, irrelevant paid ads are a great example of this.  

People want to search for solutions as and when they need to. This is where content marketing is king, and creating an effective strategy can leave you victorious. 

So, what is content marketing and why does your business need an effective strategy? 

What is Content Marketing? 

Content marketing is a form of marketing that involves creating and sharing online content such as blogs. The objective of content marketing is not to explicitly promote your brand but to pique interest in your services/products and build your authority on the topic. 

When people consistently notice your content being informative and worthwhile, your business will be at the top of their minds when they need to buy what you sell. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Great!” but still be wondering what content marketing actually entails. 

Different Types of Content Marketing 

There are many forms of content marketing but that does not mean your business needs to utilise every single one to be effective. You need to know which forms of content marketing are appropriate for your business, audience and products. 

To help you along this journey, let’s look at the most common and effective forms of content marketing which you may wish to implement for your business. 

Blogging  

When you think of content marketing, I’m sure the first thing that came to mind was blogging, and for good reason, blog posts are the most popular form of content marketing and the easiest to start with. 

All you need to create blog posts is a website and content. 

Blogging is an ever-growing market and the need for information from the internet is constantly increasing. There are currently over 600 million blogs in the world! 

Well-written blogs are key for both your business and your users. For you, they provide more traffic to your website, increased lead generation and build site authority. For your users, they provide useful information, create trust and become a source of information in the future. 

The main reason businesses avoid blogging is because they don’t know where or how to start. If you want to find out how to start blogging in 2023, just click here

Video content 

Video content is the up-and-coming new kid on the block in terms of content marketing. It has swiftly become one of the most popular forms of content marketing, and that is down to one platform, YouTube. 

Where blog posts can often lack creativity and engagement, videos soar and thrive on their interactivity and ease of distributing information.  

Some of the best ways to use video in content marketing are: 

  • Behind-the-scenes videos: people love seeing the people behind the brand. It allows for a human connection and shows authenticity. Customers get to experience your brand and may view it in a new light, especially if you are a small business. 
  • Demonstrations: whether your product is simple or complicated, has two steps or 20, you can bet someone out there needs help using it for the first time! These should be descriptive, informative and clear- imagine you are explaining it to your mum. Would she understand it? 
  • Customer Testimonials: never underestimate the power of a review. Videos of customers are high-quality pieces of content marketing that you can use on all platforms. 

Podcasts 

Following the use of video, another form of content marketing is podcasts. 

Podcasts have the opposite pull than videos as they are solely focused on audio instead of visible information. 

A podcast is the most convenient form of content marketing, all you need to do is press play and listen! This allows your listeners to multi-task whilst listening especially since 69% of podcast listeners use a mobile device to listen. This can be especially important if you are marketing your product to another business, busy people need accessible information otherwise they won’t listen. 

Podcasts are also a vital way in which you can become a thought leader in your industry and build credibility in your business. If you are providing valuable content which helps or educates your listeners, then they will begin to think of you and your business as an expert in the field. 

Try answering customer questions, problem-solving, discussing how the product is made, any industry news which could be relevant, having guests on your podcast to bring in new listeners, and making sure your podcast is engaging and entertaining. 

Infographics 

Infographics are another engaging form of content marketing due to their eye-catching and fun nature. 

This makes them great to use in all forms of content such as the previously mentioned blogs and videos. Being able to repurpose your content is key to success, spreading it to all platforms is vital to reaching the widest audience. 

Infographics have another benefit…they make you look smart! Sharing content that is both colourful, valuable and informative is a sure-fire way to gain interest from other people in your industry, especially on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. 

They are also a great way to show tangible data in a digestible way that people can understand without technical knowledge. Similarly, they can be a game-changer in niches that could be called “boring” as they capture and retain user attention. 

Why is Content Marketing Important? 

We have just explained to you the most prominent forms of content marketing to begin your journey, but why is it important? 

Content marketing is a vital form of marketing, did you know that 70% of marketers actively invest in content marketing? This is because, in comparison to other forms of digital marketing, it has a greater return on investment (ROI) in the long run, exactly what you want to hear! 

Content marketing has many benefits for you and your customers, let us tell you some now: 

  • Improve ranking in search engine results (SEO) 
  • Builds a community 
  • Builds customer relationships 
  • Helps with lead conversion 
  • Raises brand awareness 

So, does content marketing sound like it could benefit your business? Depending on your business, you may wish to implement one of these forms of content marketing or all of them! There is no right or wrong amount as long as they are relevant to your business. 

If you want to start but need some expert help to get you off on the right foot, get in touch now! 

Blogging: How to Start in 2023

Blogging: How to Start in 2023

So, you want to start a blog…GREAT! 

Blogging is an amazing way to bring more traffic to your website, become an authority in your field and build a community. 

What is Blogging? 

Blogging is the act of posting content on a website. They are informal articles written for the main purpose of showing thought leadership and expertise on a certain topic.  

Often, you will be reading a blog and won’t even know it!  

That recipe you just read, blog. 

List of fashion trends, blog. 

Technology tips, blog. 

If you’re searching for it then someone is blogging about it and vice versa, if you want to blog about something then the likelihood is that someone is searching for it. 

If you want to know the ins and outs of how to start blogging in 2023 then keep reading! 

Step 1: Choose your Blogging Host 

To get people to start reading your blog, it needs to be online! 

If you are starting from scratch, then you need to use a blog host to get your blog online. 

In this guide, we will show you how to use BlueHost for all of your blogging needs. Let me tell you a few quick reasons: 

  • They register your custom domain name for free 
  • 30-day money back guarantee 
  • Free, automatic installation of WordPress blogging software (this sounds scary but don’t panic) 
Image showing BlueHost screen showing prices for blogging hosting

Step 2: Create Your Account 

Once you visit their website, you need to select your plan. We would recommend that for a blogging beginner, you will only need the basic plan. 

Next, you need to input your domain name. Yes, this may seem like the complicated part. 

If you already have previously paid to register a domain and wish to use that to host your blog, then you can put it in the right box. If you have not, then input your chosen domain name into the left box and click “next”. 

Now for the easy part, I’m sure most of us have bought something using the internet before, so fill out your billing details on the registration page now. 

You will also need to choose your hosting package and extras, for a beginner blog, it is likely you are not going to need any extras as your account plan will have everything you need for your blog. 

You are now ready to create your BlueHost account and password! Not to be that person but please choose a secure and unique password, I don’t want any birthdays or full names here! 

Confirmation picture from Bluehost for blogging host

Once you have your account set up, you will be shown an installation helper but since you are reading this you can just click on “skip this step” to follow along with us instead (or do both!). 

The WordPress blogging platform will automatically install, and you can click on the “log into WordPress” button on the top right-hand corner to go to the administrator section of your blog. 

Step 3: Customise your blog 

This is where the fun really begins, here is your opportunity to customise the appearance of your blog! 

How you want your blog to look is personal preference, there is no right or wrong answer for how your own blog should look.  

One of the benefits of WordPress is its “themes” which can be accessed through the “appearance” tab. You should have some free WordPress themes already installed for use on your blog and unless you have a very specific design in mind, we would recommend using one of these. 

Once you pick a theme, all you need to do is hover other the theme and click activate. It’s that easy! 

If you don’t like any of these themes, just click “add new theme” to browse lots of other WordPress themes which you can install and activate. 

Step 4: Start writing 

The first step to any good blog is coming up with a title but we aren’t going to talk about that today, we already have a blog about that! Click here to find out about how to create engaging and catchy titles that people will WANT to click on. 

Step 5: Post! 

On WordPress, go to the menu on the left and click “posts”. 

Delete the post which is already there (it defaults on all new blogs and is not needed) and then click “add new”. 

You can now add in a title, your content and even extra things such as images. Don’t forget your SEO as well (what is SEO for blogging, you ask? Click here to find out). 

If you are creating your own blog, then you will also need to promote it. What’s a blog if it isn’t being read? 

Some ways to promote your blog are through social media, email marketing and search engine optimisation. 

If you are unsure of how to do this then get in touch now 

How Blogging makes Money

How Blogging makes Money

Is blogging in your marketing strategy? If it is, perfect! Keep reading to find out some nifty tips and tricks to give your blogs an extra edge and find out how blogging makes money. If blogging isn’t in your marketing strategy, let me show you why it should be! 

Did you know that 77% of people regularly read blogs online?  

In 2020, the number of blogs on the internet grew to over 600 million. With such a large amount of blogs available, it may seem overwhelming to break in and succeed but trust us, it is definitely possible! 

What is blogging? 

Blogging is the act of posting content on a website. They are informal articles written for the purpose of showing thought leadership and expertise on a topic. 

Often people will be reading a blog and they don’t even know it! Maybe you search for dinner recipes or help with your tech, more often than not the webpage you end up on will be a blog.  

I’ll let you in on a secret…this is a blog! Shhh keep it quiet. Want to check out one of our other blogs on how to make your marketing cost effective? We bet you do. 

Setting up your blog 

Before you start making money, making a blog should be the first thing on your agenda. 

Your blog needs a niche to grow, it doesn’t need to be radical, it just needs to give you a unique voice. Pick something that you enjoy, I mean why would you blog about something you don’t care about. If you aren’t passionate about your blog, then it can show in your writing and people will notice. 

Once you have decided on a niche, you need to find out whether it can bring in readers, a blog can’t make you money if no one wants to read it.  A quick Google search can show if people are searching for your topic or not. 

Then…pick a name! Think catchy, short and memorable. 

Once you have decided on your blog topic and name, you need to sign up to a web hosting service, we recommend blogging with WordPress, and choose your domain name. Once this is all set up, you have your blog! 

Now, your blog will not look inviting to begin with, so you need to customise it to suit your style. If you are using WordPress as we suggested, you can click on ‘appearance’ in the sidebar and select ‘themes’. Click ‘add new’ and then select one of the many WordPress themes to add! 

Optimise your blogs for SEO 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital for making money from your blog. SEO is the way in which you optimise your website to rank higher in search engines through keywords and phrases. 

If you are blogging with WordPress, you can install a plugin called Yoast SEO which gives you tips and suggestions to improve your SEO. 

Improving your blogging SEO will make your blog more visible so it is imperative to pay attention to it.  

If SEO confuses you or you would like to learn more then you click here for our beginner’s guide to SEO. Alternatively, we can do this for you too! Book a call now to find out how we can help with your SEO. 

How blogging makes money 

Using ads is one of the best ways to monetise your blog. When incorporating ads onto your blog, you should try to use targeted ads that will appeal to your readers instead of bombarding your readers with unnecessary and unrelated ads. 

Keep track of your analytics and monitor if your bounce rate changes when you add ads, if you notice a higher bounce rate then you may need to consider repositioning your ads or reducing the amount. 

If you have a product or service to sell, using your blog to do this is a great way to make money through your blog and direct traffic towards your business. 

How else does blogging benefit your business? 

Blogging has other benefits for your business other than making money such as helping your websites SEO. 

Click here to read about how blogging helps your business and how blogging helps your SEO. 

Do you need help setting up a blog? Get in touch by booking a discovery call with CREATIVE in TiME now to see how we can help you. 

How Blogging Helps your Business?

How Blogging Helps your Business?

What is Blogging?

Blogging is the act of posting content on a website. They are informal articles written for the purpose of showing thought leadership and expertise on a topic. 

All sounds pretty serious right? But don’t worry, it’s not that difficult!

How Blogging Helps your Business

Blogs help your business in a number of ways. They are a great way to generate fresh new content on a website and provide a catalyst for email marketing and social media promotion to improve your SEO and drive search traffic to your website.

Is Blogging Still Relevant?

Yes! Each month, approximately 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages and 77% of internet users, read blogs. That’s a lot of people. This is why 53% of marketers prioritise blogging as their primary content marketing strategy.

Why is Blogging Important?

You will have been told, if you run a business, how important it is for your company to have it found, and to have blogs on your website.

Blogging allows you to share information about your business and its services but it also allows you to share opinions and thoughts on certain topics. It is also a great way to create a personality for your company and makes your business more credible and approachable.

How Blogging Helps SEO

First, what is SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your site to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in Google, Bing, and other search engines. 

But how can blogging help SEO? 

  • It keeps your website fresh and current
  • It keeps people on your website for longer
  • A quality blog gives others sites more reasons to link back to your site
  • A blog helps you connect with your audience

Blogging: Where To Begin

Here’s our top tips for getting started with blogging:

  1. Create engaging titles and DO NOT make them misleading! They’ll only bounce straight off the blog post once they realise it’s about something completely different to what they thought it was going to be. 
  2. Use long-tail keywords throughout. These are extremely important for any SEO strategy. Half of all searches are for terms that are four words or longer. But these can be difficult to put into your pages. Don’t know how to use long-tail keywords in your blogs? Click here.
  3. Write about trending topics/questions in your industry. You can do this by searching a keyword e.g. ‘marketing’ or ‘manufacturing’ into Answer The Public or Uber Suggest and see what people are talking about. Create your content around it! 
  4. LINK LINK LINK! So much of SEO is about links and internal links are the easiest one’s for you to get since you can create them for yourself. Link to another blog post or a pricing page that’s relevant to the information you’re writing about. 
  5. Always include a Call to Action (CTA)!

Already Blogging?

Got some smashing blogs? Great…but don’t stop there! Market your blogs. Update your blogs. Back link in your blogs. Collab with your blogs.

Use blogs to look like the authority in your industry. Use blogs to answer questions your customers have, and ones they didn’t know they had. If you’re too busy to work out how to create, format and promote your content…let us!

CREATIVE in TiME are here to help. We audit, advise, mentor and manage your marketing requirements (and all your blogging needs). Click here to book a discovery call with us.