{"id":4722,"date":"2015-10-29T17:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=4722"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:36:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:36:00","slug":"deliver-results-with-content-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/deliver-results-with-content-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s How to Deliver Actual Results With Content Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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This article by AJ Ghergich is part of our <\/i>Blogtober <\/i><\/a>event, which features blog posts written by industry influencers in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.<\/i><\/p>\n

Everyone is on the content marketing bandwagon. How many companies, though, are producing positive results from their efforts? Unfortunately, very few. The main issue is not a lack of effort, but rather a lack of understanding of the fundamentals behind content marketing. In this article, we\u2019re going to discuss the basics of content marketing and how to make it work for your company.<\/p>\n

How Content Marketing Actually Converts<\/h3>\n

Many content marketing campaigns are doomed from the start simply because they are measured by the wrong outcomes. One of the most common misconceptions goes something like this: \u201cWe\u2019ll create an infographic, people will love it, and sales will go up like magic!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Any infographic, or any piece of content, no matter how well-researched and beautifully designed it is, will likely do a very poor job at directly driving conversions. If you approach content marketing with no definable and measurable goals, the only magic that will happen is your money going up in flames.<\/p>\n

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An infographic was never designed to instantly convert in the first place; in fact, the reality of how you get conversions through content marketing is much more complicated. Creating quality content is only the first step in a long process to convince a potential customer to make a purchase decision. If you measure your success off instant gratification\u2014and skip the steps in between \u201cmake content\u201d and \u201ccustomer converts\u201d\u2014your content marketing will appear to fail.<\/p>\n

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If you want to be truly successful, your content marketing needs to be the start of a long relationship with your consumer. Content marketing allows you to flip the usual marketing script: Instead of interrupting people with ads, you provide valuable insights and information. Instead of pushing your message with ads, you ask for permission first. Instead of thinking of your audience as nameless leads, you think of the relationship you can build with them.<\/p>\n

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How to Fix Your Content Marketing<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re not already taking this approach with your content marketing, you can fix it.<\/p>\n

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I call this approach Consumer First Marketing. This method thinks about the people consuming your content first and your brand second. Keep in mind that this isn\u2019t a replacement for content marketing, but a motto to guide your content creation.<\/p>\n

Once you fully understand the process behind using content marketing to improve conversions, and create content your audience finds valuable, you need to be able to measure your success.<\/p>\n

How to Turn Your Content into a Social, Traffic, and Link-Earning Magnet in 4 Steps<\/b><\/h2>\n

Step 1: Define Your Audience<\/b><\/h4>\n

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Use Facebook to unlock consumer persona data: You can find amazing insights into your consumer and your competitor\u2019s audience for free with Facebook.<\/p>\n

Search for things like:<\/p>\n