Making content work

According to the Harvard Business Review, today’s consumers have ever decreasing levels of brand loyalty. In response to this, companies have ramped up their messaging, expecting that the more interaction they provide, the better the chances of holding on to distracted and disloyal customers. 

By providing communications that build trust, and make it easier for customers to weigh options or find information, companies can add real value to their prospects buying process, and avoid getting drowned out among competing messages.

Content marketing is most effective when it is relevant to the consumer. In order to succeed with content marketing (just as with all marketing), it helps to fully understand the target audience. The best content is born from first learning about the audience - taking some time to ‘listen’ to what they’re already talking about. Finding the answers to these questions is a good place to start:

• Who is going to read/watch/hear the content?
• What do they need and want the content to bring them?
• Where do they expect the content to be available?

It's also important to decide ‘what do we want our audience to do as a result of this?’ The most successful campaigns are run across multiple channels, with consistent messaging throughout - this helps compound and reinforce each story.