When you think about marketing for your business, you might think of ‘paid advertising’: being featured at the top of Google (search engine marketing), banner ad spaces (display advertising), sponsoring a podcast or newsletter, and so on. These are all mighty fine ways to get your brand out there, but what about your organic strategy?
Enter Content Marketing.
Yeah, I know it sounds slow and boring, like watching seeds propagate in real-time. But stick with me because when this organic goodness starts sprouting, it’s a competitive strategy that yields long-term, stable results in ways that paid advertising simply can’t touch.
Search Engine Optimised Content: a spotlight on your business
I love a cheeky analogy, so here ya go:
- Your Website: Your shiny shopfront on the internet
- SEO Content: The eye-catching window display that lures people inside
- Search Engines (like Google): The bustling high street your shop is located on
You could have the best products or services on that high street, but if nobody’s peeking in your window, or they can’t find you when they need you, what’s the point?
SEO content is how you get noticed, get clicked on, build rapport with your target market, and ultimately harvest delicious sales that keep your lights on and your dream alive.
The many perks of SEO content marketing
So, why should you bother with this whole content malarkey? Well, my fellow keen-business-bean, the benefits are bountiful:
Hoisting yourself up the search engine ranking ladder
Regular, high-quality content tells Google (and other search engines) that your website is alive and kicking. It’s like waving a big flag saying, “Hey, we’re relevant! Push us higher in the search results!” It’s a long climb to the top, and any cheeky boost we can get should be most welcome!
They need to know that you know, you know?
When you consistently share valuable content, people start to see you as the go-to expert in your industry. They know that you know your stuff, and you’re not shy (or stingy) about sharing it.
Wiggly worms for your dream customers
SEO content helps you target the exact keywords and phrases your potential customers are searching for. It’s like fishing with the right bait — if you make it attractive and tasty (relatively speaking), you stand a much better chance of hooking your dream catch… instead of gnarly, soggy old boots.
“Oh my, where’s all that (website) traffic going? I’d better take a look…”
Traffic is another signifier to search engines that “Hey, there’s something interesting over here, so maybe you should have a look!”. More traffic means more eyeballs on your brand, more leads, and ultimately, more ma-honey in your pocket.
Repurpose into the other formats and channels you get stuck on
Not just sharing the “link in comments” to an article on your socials but also chopping up long-form content into social media-friendly snippets helps bring your message to a wider audience and show those ever-brutal algorithms that you have regular, valuable information to share. You could also find your favourite highlights and adjust them for video scripts and infographics… blog posts are fantastic starting points for converting to other formats!
Producing SEO content for your business
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Creating new, regular, engaging content sounds like a lot of work!” And you’re not wrong. I love marketing (as you might expect), and yet… I still don’t do enough of my own content production.
For the best results, you’ll want to set aside significant time each week to brainstorm, research, plan… before you even tippy-tappy out a single word and hope that what follows doesn’t run wildly off-track.
But that’s where a retainer model saves the day.
How content creation services (should) work
I can’t speak for every content creator out there, but in my own humble little opinion, I believe it should go something like this:
Keyword research & content marketing strategy
A bespoke plan tailored to your goals, audience, and budget. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kinda deal, and it should focus on the “long game”, incorporating valuable keywords that reflect your goods or services.
Embodies and enhances your brand voice
Every business has a “voice”: it might be yours if you’re running solo, or maybe it’s been developed as part of a defined mission and set of values. Either way, your new content should be produced with that brand tone; otherwise, it’ll murder your consistency — and, with it, your chances of developing trustworthy relationships with potential customers. Your content should play the part and represent!
Engaging content production
Talented (human) wordsmiths should craft content that’s not only optimised for search engines but also genuinely engaging and informative. These days that means avoiding AI-generated snooze-fests and clichés and making the most of personal experiences and stories. Content production should involve close contact and regular check-ins with your team to pull first-hand experiences and insights. People can’t develop a relationship with you if they don’t know you!
Easy approval and posting process
You should always have the final stamp of approval on any content that represents your brand. Having a clear present-and-approve process keeps content creators accountable and brands in control of their message. Once approved, it really helps if the content manager can publish for you to make sure the on-page SEO and post settings (such as image alt tags, SERP metadata, and social share previews) are configured correctly. There is a little more to it than a copy-and-paste job if you want it properly polished.
Regular reporting, analysis, and refinements
You should always be kept in the loop with detailed reports on how your content is performing so you can see the impact it’s having. If something isn’t attracting eyeballs and clicks, your strategy can be adjusted. Or if you’re absolutely crushing it, you can do more of that!
The whole point is to make sure you have a strategy that works for you, does the legwork, keeps you in control of your marketing message, and offers feedback about what’s working and how it can be improved.
Are you a match for content creation services?
Even if you don’t feel like your industry is “interesting enough” to create regular content (a good marketer can add a dash of spice to even the blandest of sausages, don’t you worry!), or if you don’t think it’s affordable (did I mention we can scale our packages for you?), it’s worth having a chat to see how you might benefit from a solid strategy and outsourcing your content production.
“Everyone should be doing what they love” is at the heart of FluteToot’s mission — so if you’re not absolutely raving about writing your own content, we’d love to help you do more of what you love — by doing what we love!
