For many companies, “content” is an abstract idea. They know what it is, they know it’s important – but they aren’t quite sure what to do with it. (Basically, how I feel about NFTs.)
But great content is more than pushing publish on a quarterly blog post, rolling out a well-timed meme on social media, or sending an email blast. When used with intention, content can help your business drive tangible results that can help you achieve and exceed your goals.
Here are a few ways you can use content planning to drive leads, encourage potential customers to make a purchase, and share business outcomes:
So you want high-quality leads
Acquiring leads can sometimes feel like herding cats. After all, people in Singapore are digitally savvy and hyper-vigilant these days, especially when sharing personal information like email addresses – so leading them down the trusty marketing funnel is becoming more challenging.
However, with clever content that is fresh and appealing, you’ll be more likely to gain high-quality leads that are legitimately interested in your business and what it offers.
Try interactive content – and we don’t just mean giveaways (although those can be good, too!)
Think about how you spend your time online and what it takes for you to hand over your personal data. Giveaways are often people’s first thought – and they can be a strategic way to gain new leads and grow brand awareness. For example, if your company designs kitchen gadgets, you could hold a giveaway for new homeowners or people just learning to cook. Nothing wrong with that!
But there are options beyond giveaways – try building quizzes (Which kitchen gadget matches your baking personality?) or polls (Which cake reigns supreme?) that allow people to opt-in to receive messages from your brand. So long as you’re up-front and transparent with these pieces of content, you’ll likely receive a slew of leads.
Try gated content – but not a paywall
If your company is sitting on a plethora of valuable first-party customer data, you are sitting on a content marketing goldmine without realising it.
Pro tip: put that data to use by deriving insights from it! Though you may need to enlist a content agency to help you with this (ahem, ahem), you can use your data-driven insights to create engaging content. There are many ways to gain new leads, from a thought leadership series to an insightful white paper or a juicy report on consumer trends.
To begin, tease out a few choice pieces of information and share them on social media or pitch them to targeted and trusted media contacts. These teasers should whet people’s appetite and leave them wanting to know more. Then, when they visit your website to get the info they crave, signing up for a free account, sharing their email address, or logging in using their Facebook or Google account won’t be a huge ask. Besides, if they want to hear what you have to say, they’ll likely be more than happy to hear from you again!
So you want to boost sales
The bottom line for every company is more sales. But figuring out how to get people to purchase your products is such a complex undertaking that entire industries and fields of study are devoted to helping businesses do this. While splashy ad campaigns and high-profile celebrity endorsements can often get the job done, there are other ways to persuade shoppers to push “purchase” – and it usually requires showing rather than telling.
Try partnerships with content creators – they don’t have to have millions of followers
Content creators are an increasingly popular way for businesses to reach their desired target audiences. Ideally, your selection of influencers should have an excellent level of engagement – which is not the same as the number of likes! (Psst: if you need help with content creation or identifying the right creators for your brand, hit us up, we’re good at that!)
From there, ask the influencer for an honest review of your product or services in their own words. What they say needs to be genuine and authentic to resonate with their audience, so give them the space they need to do that. Once their post is up, boost it on your social media channels and hopefully, you’ll not only reach a new audience but see an increase in sales, too!
Try highlighting your existing customers – and always credit them
If you’re not sold on using creators, you can turn to your customers for organic content. Who says you can’t? Shout out reviews and share images your customers have posted with your products (but get permission first, and do credit them for their work). You can even interview your loyal customers for a blog post or social media livestream!
Get creative with formats – turn those plain-text reviews into eye-catching graphics, make some gifs, and shoot a short-form video with your phone. With the array of apps, services and other tools available for content creation, there’s a wealth of options to experiment with – test a few (or a lot) out to see what works best for your brand and audience.
So you want to share your great results
If you recently ran a kick-ass campaign, won a major award, or exceeded an exciting business goal, you should share that information more widely than just your team at the office. You might even drive leads or boost sales because of it.
Try publishing a case study – it doesn’t have to be the length of a term paper
Don’t be intimidated by the term “case study” – this isn’t necessarily something you need to outsource. All you need to do is explain what you were looking to achieve (including the challenge you tackled), the steps you took to reach your goal, and the great success you saw because of your hard work.
Once it’s ready to go, you can share it on your website, microsite, or social media channels – whatever floats your boat! It really is okay to show off a little.
Try dynamic visuals – the more creative the better
If a case study isn’t for you, another way to present your success is to illustrate it. Infographics are always a popular way to showcase data and insights, and they’re great at catching someone’s attention. Don’t feel limited! If you want to commission a webcomic or create an animated video about how your service team achieved a target together, go for it – just don’t be afraid to share it.
Though “content” may seem like a very abstract idea, with a little bit of strategic planning, your business can use different types of content – things like blogs, social media posts, long-form reports, and visual storytelling – to achieve results that will help you grow and succeed. All you have to do is make it work for you!
If content creation still feels like a crossword puzzle with no solution, we can help – give Mutant Communications Singapore a shout by emailing [email protected].