Using Content Marketing to Build your Brand

Google can be a business' best friend or worst enemy.

As the number one search engine used by the vast majority of internet users, you would like nothing better than to be at the top of any search tied to your business. Knowing that their users depend on accurate information, Google is constantly updating and modifying its search algorithms to insure the sites they recommend are viable.

Google does this is by searching for fresh, original content and not just "spammy" stuffed copy. This has forced some brands to behave like media companies, producing content across various mediums, including video, photography, infographics and articles.

However, this shift in marketing has made it difficult for many brands, since effective content marketing demands turning away from self-promotion. Companies that put the needs of their customer first in their marketing, by providing interesting and engaging content, without any overt promotion will attract an audience that wants to consume the content, share it, comment on it, and even create it.

Here are some rules to follow to when using content marketing to build up your brand:

Don't promote - educate.

Teach your customers by being educational, not promotional. Work with experts by using thought leaders in your industry to create videos, blog entries, and other content for your target audience.

Help to solve a problem.

Your customers are usually looking for answers to a problem, so include information that solves a problem or answering a tough question. Show your prospects how your information helped solve a problem because they will explore your solution further if they have that same problem to solve.

Measure the success of your content strategy.

Analyze how users discover, consume, and share your content.  It’s vital that you measure the success or failure of your content marketing strategy. Start by taking a look at page views, time on page, your bounce rate and make sure that every single link that goes into your content marketing piece is trackable.  

Make it easy to share.

Your content must be easy to access - share it across many platforms. To get a large amount of traffic, you would need to understand where your customers hang out online. You'll have to do some research by knowing where your customers hang out online. As each community consumers content differently, build content that is specific to the audience, build that community and you'll be building traffic back to your site.