Some brands and marketers think that successful content creation is as simple as the idea that “If you write it, they will come,” and that the right people will just stumble onto their blog or Instagram or YouTube channel. That’s not the case, though. Before you start posting content, it’s important to do your homework so you know what kinds of information your ideal customers are looking for. Doing so will help drive traffic to your company’s content and increase conversions and brand awareness.
To learn how to drive traffic to your content, you first have to understand what content marketing is. Content marketing isn’t about giving the hard sell for your products or services. It’s about providing customers and potential customers with information related to your products that they can use and will value.
Who Uses Content Marketing and How?
A wide range of brands, businesses, associations and institutions use content marketing, from multi-national corporations and local mom-and-pop shops to colleges, hospitals and non-profits. Whether it’s videos, podcasts, posts on Facebook, tweets on Twitter, or online magazines and blogs, content marketing comes in a wide range of forms to suit your brand’s needs, allowing you to tailor your content in a way that makes sense for your customers.
For example, if your company makes outdoor backpacks, then your content marketing shouldn’t overtly push to sell your backpacks, but instead it might provide content about related topics your customers are interested in like the best places to go hiking or camping.
Content marketing can work for small businesses too. For instance, if you’re an accountant, your content marketing shouldn’t be about the services you provide but instead might offer helpful information about subjects like new tax laws or the best ways to keep track of receipts for business expenses.
Benefits of Content Marketing
Content marketing done well provides valuable benefits for your brand. It helps you establish a relationship and credibility with consumers and to stand out from the competition. It can also help position your brand as an authority in your industry.
Customers appreciate it when you give them something extra in the form of valuable content they can use. They’ll share it on social media, too. Valuable content encourages repeat traffic to your site, and repeat traffic to your site means more leads and sales.
Top Tips for Driving Traffic to Your Content
To increase traffic, superior content is key. When you get more likes, shares and comments on your content, you’ll increase traffic to your site by engaging users and building trust in your brand. You’ll also attract more followers. Think of it as digital word of mouth.
Social Media
Posting on social media helps drive traffic to your content. Using hashtags in your social posts grabs the attention of those who might not be familiar with your brand, products or services, but are interested in topics relevant to your brand.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) might seem like a daunting concept, but it really isn’t. SEO is how your customers find you online when they’re searching the Internet. It just means that there are certain words or phrases you should include in your content to attract more traffic because those are the words or phrases people are most likely to use when they’re interested in finding out certain things.
A potential pet supply store customer might use a phrase like “Why do dogs get anxious during thunderstorms?” when searching the Internet. If those keywords lead them to the answer posted in blog content on the website of a company that makes anxiety vests for dogs, or a store that sells them, that’s an example of how SEO should work.
Mobile Friendly
As more and more people get their information from mobile devices, it’s crucial to make sure your content is mobile friendly. When content is optimized for mobile devices, it means that it’s in proportion to the smaller screen size. It also means that it’s displayed the way that people read and respond to content on mobile devices, which is different than the way content appears on desktop computers.
The Right Kinds of Posts
Use the types of posts that typically perform well to drive traffic to your content. Some examples are how-to posts and numbered list posts, so called because they include headlines like “10 Tips for Writing a Marketing Email” or “How to Grow Your Following as an Influencer.”
Guest Blogging
Ask industry experts for guest posts, and offer to be a guest blogger on other relevant sites to help drive traffic to your content. Don’t be afraid to ask someone well known. They might just welcome the exposure!
Useful Content
Make sure your content truly engages your target consumer. Include information that helps your visitors and that is also original so that they don’t feel like it’s content they can find anywhere.
Leverage Analytics
Use content marketing analytics tools and data to see the type of content that performs the best on your site or social media. Establish goals for traffic improvement, and gauge how your content is doing on a regular basis. To grow traffic, content that’s in demand by your target market is the key.
Consistency
Publish blog posts and social media posts on a frequent and regular basis to build trust, brand awareness and credibility among customers. That way, they know you’re committed to giving them valuable information over the long term and that you’re not going to disappear.
