This post is in response to Rahul Kuntala’s post 3 Reasons Why I Hate the Term ‘Content is King’.
Content Marketing is King
Sorry if you’re tired of hearing it, but content is the king of marketing these days, and it isn’t just the king of the blogosphere, it’s the emperor of the marketing world.
Quality content in and of itself, like Mr.Kuntala says, is not enough; but if we extend the concept of quality content to content marketing, the picture becomes clearer and more undeniable as the most effective Internet marketing strategy.
Content will remain invisible to the public if it remains isolated from search engines. However, popping up on a search engine’s radar is only half of the equation for generating popularity. Search engines cannot gauge the quality of content of your page, and they cannot share links with other users.
Successful blogs and sites appeal to human users, not just search engines. The challenge for each independent blogger and major corporation is the same: How do you reach your target audience and generate popularity?
The answer is twofold. Your page must match search queries and subsequently satisfy the needs of the browser; and it must also provide original content that sparks conversation, promotes your brand image and displays your expertise. Above all else, your goal should be to promote and share your content.
How to Promote and Share Content
Optimize for the Search Engines
Identify your target audience by asking, “Who will be searching for my site?” There are three main types of queries:
- Transactional (buy, download, watch, etc.)
- Informational (pretty self-explanatory)
- Navigational (trying to find a specific site.)
Know Your Audience
Promoting and sharing content is futile if it fails to appeal to your audience. Again, know your audience and know what is trending within that demographic or culture. For example, online universities who are marketing to potential students will need to appeal to parents, traditional students and non-traditional students.
A creative content marketing strategy would include a variety of blog posts exploring anticipated queries and interests of these varied demographics. Catering only to queries pertaining to education is an effective way to display the site’s expertise, and is a bit like tooting your own horn, which is absolutely necessary in the marketing world! (GO FOR IT!)
The next step is to consider how education pervades an individual’s lifestyle. A post about the pitfalls and perks of using caffeine to study is a fun, engaging story for students that does not directly relate to an online degree. Tapping into culturally relevant topics is a way to not only toot your own horn, but to create a symphony of exposure!
Coca-Cola has been long celebrated as one of the most recognizable brands, and has done some really cool things in the past few years in response to social media and Internet marketing. Today, Coca-Cola’s Website integrates summer blockbusters, music, sporting events and fun activities into its campaign.
The result? Coca-Cola is applicable to many lifestyles and is present in a variety of social events. The more niches of culture your blog can tap into, the more opportunity you have to grow your audience and your popularity.
Research your market, your audience and your competitors. Identify what you can do better and don’t be afraid to be use other blogs or sites for inspiration.
Market and Network Tirelessly
A decent page rank and quality content must be amplified by marketing.
Link your blog posts to as many Social Media sites as possible. Include photos with every Facebook post, and respond to comments. Share stories and fun tidbits relevant to your field (or to your audience). Ask questions and share YouTube videos.
Write guest posts for other blogs and receive guest posts yourself. Keeping your content updated regularly can be a challenge, and falling behind will affect your page ranking. By submitting guest posts to other blogs, you can participate in link building, which is another effective marketing strategy.
This article is written by Samantha Gray. She is an expert in online education and a freelance writer. Works with Bachelors Degree Online, often fraught with myths and misconceptions.