Content—the word is thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? Content can refer to anything from sales pitches, to product information, to policies.
From a content marketing standpoint, articles are a great type of content that businesses can use to build a following for their website. By creating articles that customers can connect with, businesses can relate to their customers on a personal level and provide them with interesting information. Businesses will often employ a writer to specialize in creating this type of content. But what should you write?
Editorials
Editorials, or opinion pieces, are a great way for writers to connect with your audience. Writing opinion pieces about various issues can help you communicate your company’s values to your prospects. Indeed, if you have firm and clear views, this can create very strong feelings of connection and loyalty to your company. Just be sure that you’re prepared for a backlash should your opinions prove unpopular. Some ill-considered remarks by Guido Barilla to a radio interviewer resulted in a firestorm of bad publicity and calls by gay rights groups to boycott their pasta.
How-To
The great thing about the Internet is that it can teach you how to do anything. Why not incorporate this into your business? Articles that describe how to use your product, how to use products that relate to your business, and articles that help your customers achieve their business, work, or personal goals are always going to be popular.
Feature Articles
Feature articles are creative pieces that can focus on any aspect of your business. These long form pieces could focus on your company’s home city, or highlight the accomplishments of your top five customers. You could do a feature on a cause that your company supports or even discuss a fun aspect of your company’s culture. Feature articles are all about connecting on a human level with your customers.
Reviews
Another great way to gain a following is to post your thoughts about products, services, books, movies, or music as well as reviews on your own products and services. Reviews are a great way to connect to your audience and to show them that your business is open to comments and suggestions. Reviews are also a slightly safer alternative to editorials in that they’re a good way to generate a conversation, but less likely to incite a boycott. Again, though, make sure you know and understand your customers. It’s not a very good idea to post a bad review of the latest Justin Bieber single if your customers are all huge fans.
The article is a valuable tool that can help promote your business online. The more content you post to your business’s website, the more visible your site will be to potential customers. Since this is such an essential part of marketing online, it is important that content be posted regularly and to the highest standards.