Audience-Focused Approach To Content Marketing Is No Longer An Option
Just like in any relationship, having an un-engaging conversation with the other party, who predominantly talks about himself, is upsetting and exhausting. This also applies to the relationship between a brand and its customers. While this can be one of the biggest challenges for marketers, content marketing can help you earn your audience’s trust and start developing a two-way, healthy relationship that is based on transparency, engagement and loyalty.
Show that you care
Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and write content that answers the question ‘what you can do for me?’. We live in an era where consumers are more educated than ever and if your approach is more salesy than they would like, they will find a competitor that offers the same service/product, but put their customers first, not their revenue.
So instead of calling yourself expert in your topic area, try publishing value-adding content that can help you gain your target audience’s trust. For example, if you are a dietitian, send out regular newsletters or share posts on social media that educate people about weight management, nutritional facts and so on. It’s important to think like people, not marketers!
Encourage conversation
Consumers are much more likely to remember brands that succeeded at customer engagement. To achieve this, consider using social media to ignite conversations, gain supporters and create brand love.
For instance, you can create a giveaway contest; ask your followers about their opinion or their biggest challenge in a matter that’s relevant to both of you; express your opinion about something that you agree or disagree with; provide a useful tip about a topic relevant to your brand/industry; ask them to share a photo using your brand’s social media handle or dedicated hashtag, and so on. In general, a good conversion makes a happy customer and a happy customer means increased brand awareness through word-of-mouth and lifetime value.
Remember to think, act and talk like humans
Stories have the power to reveal the human side of marketing. The more relatable and true the story you are sharing, the merrier the engagement and effectiveness of your content marketing strategy. Consumers are hungry for human connection so it is important for your brand to act, talk, respond like real people.
For example, Airbnb does not promote itself as the affordable, short-rental accommodation alternative, but sells the sense of a trusted community whose members share their homes, stories and experiences. Airbnb, apart from their exceptional, speedy customer service they are offering to their customers, they allow their community members to share their video stories through which they bring travel experiences to life. In other words, even if you never have the opportunity to travel to the exotic Hawaii, Airbnb frequently shares videos for you to immerse yourself in Hawaii’s beautiful beaches and tropical climate.
Everyone loves a great story and has a story to share, so take your time to think of a story to get your message across and build a real, human connection between you and your customers.
