scratching the surface of a massive subject area without really saying anything meaningful .
It is , therefore , much better to focus on one aspect of social media , such as Facebook Live , and really go to town with it , describing how it ’ ll impact your customers and really sharing your expertise . This will frame you as a reliable voice with something insightful to say , which is much more likely to achieve a respectable level of engagement .
Leveraging The Power Of Search
There is an obvious benefit in publishing content on your own website , usually in the form of a blog , but you ’ re only going to attract organic search visitors if your posts are well optimized . Despite being a fundamental building block of online marketing , I still meet many marketers who admit to having a very limited knowledge of Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ).
I ’ m a firm believer that quality content will always thrive , no matter how little thought you put into optimizing it for search . But brushing up on SEO basics , like how to conduct keyword research , can certainly give you a competitive edge and see your visibility surge . The art of great content marketing and the science of SEO combined will really put you ahead of the pack .
Another under-appreciated discipline of content marketing is guest blogging or publishing articles on third-party sites , and I ’ m expecting to see many more B2B marketers embracing outreach programmes this year . Essentially , this amplification of your content works on multiple levels to maximize your marketing efforts .
Providing content for a well-respected , widely-read publication is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your expertise . As long as your message is informative , entertaining and relevant to the audience without coming across as an advertorial , you ’ ll be raising your profile , potentially attracting new customers .
Secondly , it gives you great material to share on social media ; if your followers see you ’ ve been published on a leading website - your professional standing will increase in their eyes . Moreover , in the background , marketing your content will be boosting your search engine performance . Reference links from authoritative websites relevant to your niche act like recommendations in the eyes of Google , giving your pages a boost in the organic search results . The more effectively you do this , the higher you are likely to rank .
The content marketing industry is at crossroads , with the eternal quest to demonstrate Return on Investment ( ROI ) getting all the more focused . As an industry , we need to take this challenge head on and do all we can to refine campaigns until they ’ re firing on all cylinders , delivering tangible results in the form of engagement and performance .
There are many marketing trends to look out for in 2021 but , for my money , the most important thing to consider is ensuring that your content efforts are focused on becoming that magical one piece in twenty that actually gets noticed . If you achieve that , you are sure to have a very productive year .
Irene Mbonge is the Group Head , Corporate Communication & Public Affairs at CPF Group . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail at : Mbonge . Irene @ gmail . com .