What is the purpose of content creation and how does content marketing work?
The word “content” and “content marketing” is used a LOT in the business world. Whether you are an entrepreneur, influencer or business owner, content creation plays a very important role in how you connect and communicate with your audience.
But in case you need a little refresher, it is time to look at the purpose of content creation and how does content marketing work!! Especially during very testing times in the world, online is playing a very important part in how we now engage with our audience!
What is content marketing?
It doesn't have to be hard. Content Marketing works like this, it is creating content (buzzword) to market your business. It is a marketing strategy!! Just like SEO, online advertising and funnel building, content marketing is a strategy.
AND to be fair, most marketing strategies don’t really work if you don’t have the content to provide your audience!
What is it?? Content Marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online content (including videos, blogs, and social media posts - just to name a few) that aims to create connection, awareness and of course, sales for a business.
How do you achieve content marketing within your business? Well, by having a content marketing strategy. Think of it like this - A strategy is a plan that keeps you accountable so you know when you should be showing up, where you should be showing up and what you should be saying!!
A content strategy will help you:
Show up consistently
Inform your target audience
Align all your platforms (social media, blog, pods and the like)
Will give you more confidence (because you will feel prepared)
Why should you implement content marketing?
Alright, so why do you need content marketing? Well, surely you know by now, but it helps to build a real connection with your audience in the online world.
Do people even use content marketing?
You bet they DO!! According to Hubspot, 70% of marketers are using content marketing in their marketing plans this year! AND for business to business marketing, the number one marketing investment is content creation! Oooo yeah, we definitely need to start implementing content marketing into our business.
Don’t be scared, a content strategy is just a fancy word for the planning of your content on social media and other digital platforms online!
The purpose of creating content for your business
There are MANY purposes of content creation and content marketing. It can help you with a lot of areas within your business. So, let’s have a look at a few purposes for content for your business!
Creates brand awareness for your business
Never underestimate the power of brand awareness!! With brand awareness comes referrals and all that good stuff!! Creating engaging content will help build up your brand, it is always good to do this at times without offering any products or services!
Bring people into your funnel
If you think you don’t want a funnel within your business (you do need it) but see it as more of a circle (like below), and remember, just creating content can help with this funnel process. You create brand awareness, make some offers across your content platforms, and then even convert through direct messages etc. You ALSO create content with your ads and email marketing (if this is what you use to create your marketing funnel). Building on your content will ALWAYS help build up your customer base.
Inform and educate
Of course, the purpose of creating content is to inform and educate your audience. You do this by sharing information around your business and niche! The more you educate and provide value, the more your audience will engage and see you as an expert!
Build trust and loyalty
The more value you give through your content, the more people will trust you AND you will bring customers back in through your ‘funnel’. The more trust and loyalty you give, the more sustainable your business. Now think, if someone doesn’t know who you are, the way they find out is through your content!!
Think, feel and do factor
When you create a piece of content you want people to “think, feel” and then of course “do” or take action! So, the purpose of your content is to always get people to think about what you are saying, feel and emotion around it (remember we buy off emotion) and then you want them to do something!! So, creating content that touches on all of these can be VERY powerful!
Advocate for change
The purpose of content isn’t always to sell. It can be to help advocate for change!! Whatever you are passionate about, you can use content channels to express this! If you want to learn how you can write to advocate for change, watch my IGTV on this!
Share a story or a lesson (power of storytelling)
Whether you have a story, which has a lesson, or you think of a lesson and find the right story to tell, the art of storytelling is so key in content creation! People connect with people, so the more stories you tell, the bigger the connection will be with your audience. Content can be used to tell these stories, whether it is a blog, podcast or social media post!
Purely to bring joy + inspire others
The purpose of content creating doesn’t always have to be to sell a product or service. It can be to inspire your audience OR to bring them joy!! Just make sure the joy or inspiration you are trying to create resonates with your audience. No this does NOT just mean the old filler post because you need to create content for the day! Think about it.
Do you need any more convincing on why content creating is a key to business growth and development? Well, of course, it will help bring in sales, it is just harder to measure than advertising or the like!
How to implement content marketing into your business
Now, you want to make a start! So how can you best implement content marketing into your business? Well, of course, you want to have a strategy, see below for some resources. But here is a quick way to do it!
Choose your core platform - this could be a blog, podcast or social media channel
Choose the values you want to embed in your content
Choose your message and purpose
Plan out the types of content you will create - the what (you want to talk about), when (you will show up) and where (on what channels)
Look at where you can repurpose it
Create a structure for yourself (check out my podcast episode 33 for more on this)
SHOW UP
Be consistent
You don’t have to overcomplicate it!!
Final thoughts
How do you feel about content marketing now? Of course, content is a buzzword, BUT it doesn’t have to be complex. Break it down and simplify it so it can be consistent and fit perfectly into your business without feeling overwhelmed OR like you have no time to create!! Just remember, this is a revenue-generating activity! It brings clients into your space so you can sell to them! Of course, if you need help implementing content effectively into your business, make sure you down my content strategy template freebie!
