Content marketing serves many purposes. It helps companies attract the right audience, drive lead generation efforts, enable sales teams, and fuel outbound channels such as email, social media and syndication.
But just because an organization might invest in content marketing, it doesn’t always mean they know how to develop the right content. In fact, while 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing, only 32% say they are effective at it.
So, what are some steps marketers can take to ensure their content is valuable, builds trust and bolsters their organization’s reputation? Here are three tactics marketers can employ:
Write About What You Know
Don’t pretend to be an expert on something you’re not. These days, people’s B.S. radars are active and alert—and they want to engage on their terms (not yours). 92% of people don’t trust companies that cold call. Buyers are more skeptical of your message than ever, especially if you’re trying to share information on a topic they’re already familiar with.
Trust-building opportunities lie in the intersection between your brand’s expertise and the interests of your buyers.
Start by getting to know your audience. What do they care about? What are their challenges, their goals? Conduct research and dig into behavioral data (what eBooks, whitepapers, blog posts, etc. are they reading?) to find out which topics resonate with them. Then, map those interests to the problems your brand knows how to solve.
By finding this sweet spot between customer needs and brand expertise, you’ll be able to speak or write with authority on topics that are also relevant to the people you’re trying to reach.
