5 of The Most Common Content Marketing Questions Answered

Sep 22

Content marketing is a somewhat loaded topic. It can mean a lot of things and encompass many different tactics. So it’s not surprising that a lot of brands and businesses have questions when it comes to content marketing.

We’re here to provide some insights and answer five of the most common content marketing questions.

1. Do we really need more content?

Millions and millions of pieces of content are published a day. Between blog posts, social media updates, videos, and newsletters, the amount of content distributed daily across the web is enormous. But all of this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t publish content of your own.

You do need more content. But more specifically, you need strategically created content that is aligned with your goals and relevant to your customers, industry, business, and mission.

2. What results should I expect from content marketing?

When you publish strategically created content, you can get benefits for your brand. With an effective content marketing strategy, you can:

Rank better in search
Increase website traffic
Build more industry authority and trust
Drive interested prospects through the sales funnel
Stay connected and in touch with customers and brand fans
Build assets that provide values for years

3. What types of content do I need for content marketing?

Basically any messaging your brand publishes can be considered content marketing. Content marketing doesn’t refer to just one type of content. It can include a variety of formats with different styles of writing and approaches.

Your content strategy should start by identifying your goals and audiences, and then, determining which type of content will help you reach those objectives and people. Some types of content include:

Landing Pages: An important part of both B2C and B2B website content, landing pages are stand-alone pages that introduce a product, service, or offering and end with a call-to-action to take a step toward getting that product, service, or offering.
SEO Blog Posts: Designed with the goal to drive traffic through organic SEO, these blog articles target a specific keyword and utilize on-site SEO optimization to help the post rank in search.
Thought Leadership Blog Posts: Intended to show off expertise and industry knowledge, these posts offer unique insights and are educational, inspiring, and motivating. They may appear on the brand’s website or as guest posts on other websites.
Case Studies: Another type of content that displays a brand’s expertise, case studies walk audiences through the process of how a business solves problems for customers.
Sales Materials: Content that supports sales helps guide customers toward a purchase. It includes how-to videos, FAQ pages, brand videos, whitepapers, webinars, and testimonials.
Social Media Posts: Engaging, witty, and educational content on social media helps a brand get discovered as well as stay connected with existing followers.
Email Newsletters: Delivered right to inboxes, email marketing is content that helps brands stay in touch with existing customers and people who have shown interest in their business.
Advertising: Organic content may not always get the reach you need or want. Attention-grabbing ad copy and graphics are necessary for reaching new and existing audiences through paid placements.
Value Proposition Statements: Copy that showcases what unique value you offer to customers can stand alone and also be infused into your other content assets to help you stand out from competitors.

It’s important to note that content in these categories can be in a variety of formats. Content doesn’t always mean text.

It may also include graphics, videos, animations, illustrations, and podcasts. As you create a content strategy, decide what type of content you need (landing pages, case studies, etc.), and then determine what format will work best for the content (video, text, etc.).

4. What makes good content?

With so much content out there, you must ensure that you’re creating good content that can effectively help your brand move toward your goals.

It provides value. Don’t create content just to fill a blog post slot. Only post content if it is valuable to the audience. Valuable content shares something new, educates, influences, inspires, or builds trust.

It fits in the sales funnel. Good content is intended to reach customers at specific points in the buyer’s journey. Ensure that each piece of content serves one of the stages of the sales funnel:

Build awareness and trust
Generate leads
Drive sales
Remarket and re-engage

It serves your goals. Again, don’t publish content just because you think you need to. Only spend time creating and distributing content that has a direct connection in leading your brand toward your goals.

It drives engagement. While you can’t always know what content will resonate with audiences, you can make educated guesses based on past content performance. A good content marketing strategy includes reviewing marketing analytics to identify high-performing content so you can pull out themes to use in other content to try and replicate your success.

5. How do I create content?

Because there are many different types of content, there are many different skill sets that are needed to create content. Don't expect one style of writing -- and in many cases, one writer -- for all the needed types of writing for a good content marketing strategy.

As you set your content marketing priorities, consider what skills and roles you might need to fill:

SEO writer for blog posts and landing pages you want to rank in search
Copywriter for landing pages, case studies, sales material, and email marketing
Expert writer or researcher for thought leadership content
Social media strategist for content creation for social channels
Graphic designer for custom graphics and illustrations
Videographer for filming and editing videos

Depending on the size and scope of your content marketing strategy, you may need to fill one or all of these roles.

Whether you have one or more people working on content marketing, keep in mind that it is a position that requires multiple skill sets. If you can’t find the right team member, consider working with an agency that can support each element of your strategy.

Need help with your content marketing?

Content marketing may be a loaded topic, but it is also an extremely effective way to help brands reach specific goals. Now that you have answers to some of the most common content marketing questions, are you ready to get started?

If so, SpotOn Digital is here to help. Our team can help you with all phases of content marketing. From keyword research and content creation to social media and email marketing, our team can help you lay out a strategy and execute your plans.

Amanda Sanz