5 Ways Content Marketing Is Different From Blogging
If you went to school, chances are you know how to write. If you can write, then you can probably string a few sentences together on a particular subject and publish it as a blog. However, is blogging the same as content marketing? The simple answer to your question is:
NO!
You’ll probably find that bloggers get asked to write a blog post for just a few bucks, whilst those familiar with content marketing can command more lucrative fees. The reason? SKILLS!
We’re not saying that bloggers don’t create beautifully informative pieces of writing which leave you hanging on their every word. Quite the contrary. There are some wonderful blogs out there that educate and leave the reader feeling fulfilled. However, content marketing involves a lot more work and has a strategic plan.
1. Research in content marketing
Have you ever opened up a new document and kept typing your thoughts until you ran out of things to say, then passed it off as a blog? The world of content marketing never does this. It begins with a plan; an understanding of the topic and research of keywords that are popular and easy to rank for. These keywords are then crafted into the writing in a natural way that avoids the feeling that they have been shoe-horned in. This is no easy feat; it takes time, experience and patience.
Regular insight into competitors also needs to be carried out; what blogs have been published this week? What are the competitors writing about? How can this blog find its niche?
2. Analytics
Ah! A marketing buzzword. Some people love it; others have such a distaste they rename it sham-analytics. Either way, if you’re a dedicated content marketing expert, you will use analytics. Remember your high school report? When you were given a list of subjects that you were doing well in and those that you need to work on? Analytics is pretty much the same, but this time it’s your blogs that are put under scrutiny. By looking at the figures, content marketing professionals can see which posts have done well, which haven’t and why. It could be the writing style, the distribution channels or merely the topic was chosen to write about.
3. Relationships
Content Marketing professionals work to build lasting relationships way before asking for help. They make friends with other bloggers and spend time nurturing the relationship. When it is time, they can ask for a retweet or to be interviewed on a particular topic, offering valuable, trusted backlinks to help with SEO. Amateur bloggers, on the other hand, tend to contact people they need on-demand, when they need it, which never ends well!
4. It’s just the start
Bloggers will bash out a blog post and expect the whole world to celebrate their fantastic literacy skills. Job done. For content marketing stars, however, the blog post is just the beginning of the journey. Once the post has been published, they spend their time working on the marketing part of content marketing. They’ll use scheduling tools and other techniques to get the most out of their content and make sure the right people see it.
5. It’s all about those calls to action
t’s all very well spending your valuable time writing a wonderfully crafted piece of prose, but remember, you’re a content marketing pro, not a blogger. To see a return on investment, you need a call to action; something that you want your audience to do after reading your post. It could be subscribing to your blog, contacting you, or simply sharing their thoughts in the comments section. Remember, each reader is a potential customer who you could drive into the bottom of your funnel. Don’t just let them walk away!
With that in mind, if you would like to find out how our content marketing expertise can help drive growth for your business, email us!
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