Successful content marketing endeavors rely on you understanding your customers or clients. This understanding is essential. Without it, how can you draft effective and successful content for your website, newsletters, your ad copy, or your social media outlets?
Your job as a business owner is to identify – and recognize – the needs and requirements of your current and potential customers. You need to get them. It’s so basic and yet I’m still amazed at the number of emails I get and websites I visit that don’t focus specifically on how a service or product can serve the need of a potential customer. Like me.
It’s not just about a pitch to sell a product or service. It’s about educating them and informing them. Are you doing that?
Use your ‘voice’ to tackle content marketing
Your message or ‘voice’ must focus on the customer/client in order to drive effective marketing materials. Every customer or client places a huge importance on their experiences and interactions with a company (and its employees). Your service or product is merely one piece of building your business relationships and reputation with your customers or clients.
What does quality for the customer mean? Any improvements in product development or quality of services should not only offer more value to the customer, but also improve your bottom line. It’s SO basic, and yet it’s often lacking.
- Put yourself in your client’s shoes. What are their needs and expectations? How will your service or product meet those needs?
- Your marketing materials must feature benefits for the customer. Make it easy for them to find you. Did you know that nearly 86% of brands today are on photo and video-sharing sites like Instagram? Are you?
Without customers, you have no business. Ignoring your customers’ needs, desires, or demands won’t encourage them to buy and use your products or services.
Remember:
- Your content marketing materials must be directed at your potential clients or customers based on what they’re looking for, not just your product or service.
- Prioritize aspects of your content development or marketing plans that influence a customer’s need and decision to buy your product or service.
Understanding the expectations of your target market or audience is your first goal, and only then will you be able to develop a focused content marketing or operational plan for your business.