In this guest post, Sheree Mutton (pictured below), CEO of Reeton Media, argues that every brand needs a good storyteller …
Every brand needs a great storyteller – someone who can create engaging content that resonates with their target audience. If we think back a decade ago, content marketing was much smaller as there were few channels to target audiences. Now the content requires seamless execution using a comprehensive and consistent content strategy that is supported across the enterprise and published on multiple platforms. Media enthusiastic companies have taken note of this, which is why the number of companies and brands hiring content marketers or creators (both internal and external) to distribute content across different platforms has increased significantly.
Hiring a chief content officer, head of content, or content marketer can help turn a brand into a media platform in its own right – by taking advantage of the print and digital outlets (including social media) available to them To be available. It is true that getting an exact ROI on content marketing can be difficult, but statistics show that it is money well spent.
According to Marketing Insider Group, content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing. What’s even better is that it costs up to 62 percent less. According to Forrester, the average person consumes 11.4 pieces of content before making a purchase decision. When evaluating a company and its offers, 95 percent of B2B buyers consider content to be trustworthy (DemandGen). When it comes to blogging, companies that blog produce 67 percent more leads each month than companies that don’t (DemandMetric).
When we talk about media, we can divide it into three key areas: proprietary media (content), paid media (advertising), and earned media (public relations). Real estate owned channels include your website and blog. social media; Podcasts, eDMs and even a brand magazine. Building your own media channels is a long-term game and requires investment – resources such as time, money and skilled workers – but it can pay off, increasing brand awareness, trust and ultimately sales.
Often the challenge with your own media is finding the right balance. Since brands have complete control over their own media, it is tempting to use the platforms as forms of advertising. However, consumers can see through this. Because of this, more and more brands are hiring former journalists to do their content marketing. They have the editorial mindset, a deep understanding of what makes a good story, and the right approach to creating engaging content that connects.
An audience-first approach is critical to the success of your content marketing efforts. Companies that focus not on what they want to say, but on what the audience wants to hear and when, where, and how they want to hear it are far more successful. A skilled content creator will take the time to research and understand your audience so they can create content that resonates with them. After all, you want to separate your brand from the noise of mass marketing content being distributed every day – more than 90 percent of the content doesn’t get any traffic from Google (Ahrefs).
Content should be a central focus of your business or brand, and a good content creator will outline a comprehensive content marketing strategy with clearly defined goals. You convey your brand messages in a concise and memorable way, build trust with your customers or customers, generate leads and improve conversions.
If you develop a relatable business person and deliver an authentic voice through the right platforms, customers or clients will take notice.