Content marketing done wrong is costly.

It can cost you money, your reputation and your business. The wrong tone, a mistake in delivery, a miscalculated campaign can all mean money and your credibility gone down the drain.

The problem: What’s “right” today may be wrong the next day. In the online marketing space, change can be ruthless. In many cases, the transformation is 360 degrees. That’s why it’s important to be agile enough so you can make smart, timely responses to change.

With the crowd, the noise and the fast shifts in the online marketplace, you’ve got to have a solid, up-to-date content strategy. If you want to stay relevant in the scene, you need to be ready to let go of long-held beliefs and always be in the know about current trends and the emerging behaviours and preferences of your audience.

And honestly? It’s not easy. If you fear that you have a bit of catching up to do, here is a step to get you started—a quick list of some of the new rules of content marketing. Read up and think about how you can apply them to your business. 

Scientific rather than intuitive 

You want your content to be emotionally engaging—it has to be, if you want to create a positive connection with your market. But that emotional engagement that most successful brands have achieved was not created out of sheer luck or spontaneity. It was constructed through a very calculated, systematic manner. A winning content campaign should be guided by a well-defined strategy that involves market research, channel testing, buyer’s journey mapping, metrics and measurement, and more. 

Pull, don’t push

A few years ago, content marketing was all about keywords, promoting the business, and putting information “out there.” Now, focusing on these things can push away, instead of pull in, your target audience. Instead of pushing a sale, it’s now about providing value. Instead of simply aiming to be heard, brands today are focusing on listening and creating conversations with their community.

If you’re boring, you’re dead

For content to be effective, it should be unique, interesting and engaging enough to move the audience into action. A highly skilled content team can give a human touch to even the dullest subjects and industries, if necessary. A creative angle, an approach to storytelling, and the use and re-use of different platforms (visuals, infographics, videos, podcasts, photos, etc.) are just some of the techniques that make content more relevant and valuable.

Content is so crucial to marketing success today that many experts are recommending a content-first approach to achieve growth and profitability. If you need a hand with your content strategy, contact us at AGY Innovative Marketing.

• Have a solid, up-to-date content strategy  [Click To Tweet].
• Create a positive connection with your market  [Click To Tweet].
• Content is so crucial to marketing success [Click To Tweet].

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