As the end of 2020 quickly approaches, marketers are going to be up against more competition than ever before due to the uncertainty and change of this year. COVID-19, a general election, and a variety of human rights movements are all pulling the attention of individuals online. So how can your company be seen? It’s quite simple: be of value to your audience through the content and information you share.
1. Be customer-focused
First and foremost, developing your buyer personas will help you develop products, services, or solutions that fit their needs, but they can also drive value-based marketing efforts. Once your personas are set, you can create content and steer your marketing plan towards addressing their pain points. Ask yourself the following questions to get started:
- What do you want to appeal to? This could be making their lives easier, saving money, or growing their business.
- How are you solving their pain points? Demonstrate how your product will do what you say it does through a blog, video, infographic, testimonial, or case study. These tactics will help prove your value to your audience.
- What makes your product, solution, or service unique? Create your Unique Value Proposition to outline why your company is special and why potential customers should choose you.
- What information is helpful to your audience? Share industry news, tips related to your business and industry, or free downloads to help your audience learn about your industry and common problems they may face.
2. Connect with your audience
Content promoting your business is important – that’s how your audience will learn about what your company does. However, only talking about your business leaves little room to build one-on-one connections. Find interesting content to share, whether it is educational or pure entertainment.
Educational content can come from industry news and quick tips, but pure entertainment can break up the seriousness of many people’s social newsfeeds. Entertaining content needs to be in line with your business and your brand voice. A healthcare technology company with a serious, professional brand voice will share different content from a clothing company with a whimsical tone.
Once you begin sharing content, you will start receiving reactions, comments, and shares on your posts. Be sure to respond to comments and messages, and even like the shared posts. This will build loyal fans who enjoy interacting with your organization and appreciate the timeliness of your responses.
3. Create new, authentic content
People love authentic content. It helps individuals connect with your brand on a personal level. Try live videos, blogging, a conversational tone, and responding quickly to social comments and messages to begin building your brand’s authenticity.
Blogging is a digital marketing favorite to provide value to your clients. You can provide in-depth information, ranging from a short blog about one topic to a robust how-to guide. Let your blogs be informational without being promotional; this helps authentically demonstrate the expertise and knowledge your company holds. Share content from multiple experts and thought leaders in your company with different perspectives like the CEO, a product developer, and a marketer.
Develop a set of brand guidelines to help those engaging on social media on your company’s behalf. This can range from what graphics and images align with your brand to which hashtags to use. You want your brand ambassadors to be honest and have their own personality, while positively promoting your company and staying on-message.
Providing value to your audience is crucial, particularly in times of change. Connect with your audience to develop long-lasting, loyal relationships that keep your customers informed and entertained – while building your pipeline.
– Danielle
