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Content marketing presents marketers with a fantastic opportunity to engage with an audience. In fact, it has the potential to generate conversion rates six times higher than other marketing methods. But what type of content is most effective? To answer that question, it’s important to keep in mind content marketing’s driving factor: Providing solutions to common problems. Through education content marketing, it’s possible to provide those solutions, establishing yourself as a reliable source of information while developing a relationship with your audience.

The Importance of Education Content Marketing.

Statistics show 68 percent of the world population uses mobile technology; that means over two-thirds of all people have instant access to the internet. The answer to any question is just a few clicks or swipes away:

  • How do I fill out my tax returns?
  • How do I make a soufflé?
  • What are the best Halloween costumes for infants?
  • What was the last film Tom Cruise starred in?

The purpose of any content marketing campaign is to ensure that when people search for answers to these queries, they find you. The best way to do that is to provide value-added content with the necessary answers. This is where education content marketing comes in. Rather than focusing on a hard sell, your content seeks to inform and enlighten. This establishes you as a credible source of information and makes it possible to engage with people who may eventually convert into customers. In fact, studies show educational content marketing makes consumers 131 percent more likely to buy a product.

Examples of Education Content Marketing.

There are many ways to employ education content marketing in your campaigns. The aim is to develop an honest and authentic relationship with your audience. You want to develop a bond of trust that ultimately results in brand loyalty. Many companies have employed this technique successfully.

Tablespoon.com

General Mills launched the website tablespoon.com to provide quality cooking advice and recipes. If you want to convert teaspoons into tablespoons, find fun food to make for your family, or learn new ways to make the most from a butternut squash, this site has everything you need. Education and entertainment are at the forefront, but all recipes have an “easy purchase” button to instantly create an order with Basketful. Also, there are links to General Mills’ other official sites and all of their social media channels to raise the company’s online profile and brand reach.

Mint

Money matters are a big concern for many people, generating a stream of questions regarding how to make money go further, how to build a nest egg, and how to create a budget to make it from paycheck to paycheck. Mint is happy to help, with an informative blog that covers everything from improving credit ratings to getting a part-time job. The online banking service also offers some amazing free tools to help people who want to take control of their finances.

The Colgate Oral Care Center

Visit Colgate’s Oral Care Center and you’ll see the power of education content marketing in full force. The landing page offers visitors the chance to “find answers,” with searchable subjects covering oral health conditions, cosmetic dentistry, and proactive methods for maintaining a healthy smile. The focus is on promoting dental hygiene. There’s plenty of information to sink your teeth into, including sections of downloadable content for use by teachers in a classroom setting. By providing sound advice for parents and activities for use in the education system, Colgate ensures it’s the first name in oral hygiene on everybody’s lips.

Getting Started With Education Content Marketing.

To start developing your own education content marketing campaign, consider these steps:

Set your marketing goals.

Do you want to improve brand awareness or build a database of sales leads? Defining your goals now means defining your key performance indicators. This makes it easier to evaluate your success at the end of the campaign.

Find out what people want to know.

Perform keyword searches online to see what people are keen to know about. But remember, you should always work within your field of expertise. It might be great to become the leading expert on handheld video games with millions of followers, but it isn’t going to boost your business if you make electrical appliances because you’re drawing in the wrong crowd.

Provide answers.

Your priority is to educate, not to sell. Your content needs to be of high quality, entertaining, and informative. If you’re uncertain about producing content, turn to a content marketing agency, or approach freelancers to make the content for you. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge. You may feel as though you shouldn’t be giving away your expertise for free. However, sharing knowledge is an important part of encouraging engagement with potential customers.

Stay on top of trends.

The world moves quickly, so make sure you move with it. Keep an eye on your competition and adapt to the interests of your audience.

Analyze your results.

If you don’t analyze your results, it’s impossible to tell what kind of return on your investment you’re getting. Keep your metrics for success in mind. If your current campaign isn’t getting the required results, make changes as soon as possible.

Takeaway: Put the Customer First.

For some companies, education content marketing seems more natural than it does for others. For example, if you sell cooking accessories, running a blog with recipes and tips for how to use those accessories makes perfect sense. However, if you specialize in providing accounting services for small businesses, filling your blog with advice on how to complete your own tax returns may seem like a good way to lose business.

Just remember the focus of all good content marketing is to put the needs of the customer first. If you provide valuable information people need, you develop a relationship with those people. They start to trust your brand, and if they eventually need one of the products or services you offer, they’re going to think of you first. Education content marketing is an authentic way to build engagement and lasting bonds with potential customers, while developing your reputation as a respected solutions provider. Put your customers first and they’ll put you first when it really matters.

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