One of the fastest-growing types of marketing is content marketing. Why? Because it works. Content marketing positions you as a thought leader, establishes credibility, and is often the gateway to your customers discovering your business. One study found, for example, that year-over-year growth in unique website traffic is 7.8x higher for content marketing leaders than for followers (19.7% vs. 2.5%, Aberdeen). If your content is being provided in print, content marketing often drives them to check you out online in the first place.
Want to make the most of content marketing? Here are five best practices to keep in mind.
Content Marketing Best Practices
1. Get the proper content support.
Developing content likely isn’t your specialty unless you have writers on staff. Stick to what you do best⸺your products and services⸺and work with specialists to create content that will put you in the best light.
2. Create content of real value.
When creating thought leadership, “any old” content won’t do. It should be high-quality content that your audience sees as valuable to their businesses and their lives.
3. Offer unique insights.
Don’t rehash information your audience can get elsewhere. Create fresh content that reflects your expertise.
4. Use social proof.
People trust others more than brands, so when promoting your products, use customer reviews, testimonials, and UGC (user-generated content) whenever possible.
5. Pick the right audience.
You can provide the best content, but it will fall flat if you provide it to the wrong audience. The key to conversion is targeting the audience most likely to buy. For example, not everyone will need a new living room or dining set if you are selling home furnishings. Find the correct targets (say, unique movers or recently marrieds), and your conversion rate will go way up.
Are you using content marketing to attract potential buyers and convert them into happy customers? If not, you might miss a significant opportunity.
As a marketer, you know the value of email. You may also see the value of print marketing. But do you know the areas where one is better than another? Let’s look at four places where direct mail beats out email and does things email cannot do.
Direct Mail vs. Email Marketing: 4 Tips
1. Bypassing opt-ins: Unlike email, direct mail doesn’t require the recipient’s permission to receive it. There’s no risk of your message being blocked or the recipient opting out. Marketers often use direct mail to re-engage subscribers who have unsubscribed or stopped engaging with their email lists.
2. Bypassing spam filters: Direct mail doesn’t face the same spam restrictions as email. If you have the correct physical address, it will land in your target’s mailbox. If you are trying to get past gatekeepers, you can use dimensional mail, unusual shapes and designs, and other marketing tricks to reach your target’s desk.
3. No soft bounces: Beyond spam filters, an email might not reach its intended inbox for many other reasons. The server might be down, it might be busy, or there could be new filtering systems that prevent your message’s delivery. All of that goes away with direct mail.
4. Providing continuity in B2B: In a business-to-business environment, direct mail still finds a target even if the recipient has moved on to a new job. Emails will bounce if the contact’s address is no longer valid, but direct mail will still reach the desk of the person taking their place.
Direct Mail vs. Email Marketing: Settle it with ImageMark
Both email and direct mail have their strengths, and they shouldn’t be viewed as substitutes for one another. Instead, consider integrating them into a more extensive marketing campaign for maximum impact. If you want to learn more about the differences between email and direct mail, call us, and let’s discuss it!