Content Marketing is a marketing method that establishes you as an authority in your field by providing useful and free content to consumers (via your website, social media channels, and offline channels), in exchange for their email address or other information.

The willing exchange of a potential client’s email address for credible information provided by you, (called the opt-in process), gives you a credible list of potential customers for you to sell to.

Content marketing is all about building and maintaining customer relationships

By providing your clients with quality and relevant content on a continual basis, you create a pathway for them to want to use your services and purchase your products now and in the future.

The internet is a double edged sword

The internet has given entrepreneur’s, small and medium sized business an opportunity to create marketing campaigns that are inexpensive relative to buying advertising on television, radio, or in print.

However, internet marketing is so easily accessible, that everyone has the same opportunity to publish content.  As a result the web is cluttered with information.

You need to provide information that is fresh, relevant, and informative.

So an effective campaign cuts through the clutter with:

• Creative and effective branding and placement of information.
• Providing excellent content in an easy to read format.

How?

There are two key components to effective content marketing:

1.  Know your audience…I mean really know your audience. Create an in-depth and thorough persona profile of your ideal client. Avoid writing to masses of people, think of that one client and write only to her.

In doing so, you’ll wind up creating meaningful connections with many of your ideal clients.

2.  Know where your ideal client hangs out (targeting and reach never go out of style). To deliver your message effectively you have to know where your ideal client is…online and offline.

Does she frequent Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter, or Pinterest?  What kinds of organizations does she belong to?  What publications and trade publications does she read?

3. Think about how you can you provide her with meaningful information about your services without “selling” your services outright.  For example: Creating an online or offline seminar that will enrich her.

Remember no one likes to be sold to; rather they want to be informed and empowered.  This is the hallmark of good content marketing.

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