Whether you're looking to enhance your customer journey or expand to new markets, every brand needs to learn how to take advantage of their content marketing strategy if they want to see results. Content is everywhere. It's in the social media posts you view on your timeline, it's the language used in the emails you read, it’s in the copy across websites. Every brand, in some shape or form, relies on content to drive messaging and generate sales. That's why content marketing is the driving force of effective marketing campaigns. Focusing on content adds value to your initiatives and helps you enhance brand awareness, increase conversions and take your business to new heights. Content marketing is nothing new, but more businesses are starting to see the value in prioritizing this marketing avenue. This year, over 72% of companies plan to increase their content marketing budgets. That means there will be more demand for professionals with a knack for content in the upcoming years. Whether you're passionate about enhancing your current content marketing strategies or want to simply learn content marketing basics, you've come to the right place. Here's everything you need to know about modern content marketing:

What is content marketing?

To put it simply, content marketing is a type of marketing that relies on curated messaging. It’s the planning, creating and sharing of content across different digital marketing channels. The content you create for marketing purposes will help you build a relationship with your target audience and keep them engaged with your brand. When used correctly, a content marketing strategy can:

• Help you scale your business into different markets;
• Build credibility with your current audience;
• Increase sales;
• Drive traffic back to their website;
• Maintain customer loyalty.

Every piece of content is different. Whether you're working on the wording for a sales landing page or crafting an email marketing campaign, everything you do with content has the power to add value to your customer's life and improve their relationship with your brand.

The importance of content marketing for businesses

Content marketing is constantly changing and growing. To put things into perspective, consider the style of content popular in 2012 compared to 2022. The approach, the wording and the writing style are different and unique to the time period. This trend also applies to different marketing channels, generations and audiences. However, one thing always remains true: content marketing works if it's done correctly. Effective content marketing resonates with the consumer. It helps them effectively build a connection with your brand and leads them to become a lifetime buyer you can nurture for years to come. With the right content, you can:

• Generate trust in your audience;
• Create viable leads;
• Improve conversions and website traffic;
• Position your brand as a leader in the industry.

Learning how to execute effective content marketing is an invaluable skill that can benefit any business's bottom line and give your brand the credibility it needs to stay two steps ahead of your competition.

The best types of content marketing that brands can use today

When a brand is consistent with its content marketing strategy, it can build trust with its audience. Content adds value to the customer journey, increases brand awareness and gives your brand a competitive edge. Don't believe us? Think about the brands and companies you feel connected to. Think about the language, the content they create and the reasons why you truly love the brand. Each piece of content they create works together to help you build a relationship with the brand and turn you into a long-lasting buyer. Content marketing is used to help educate consumers and keep them in the know about your brand. It's versatile, creative and knowledgeable. Here's how it's used across the different digital marketing platforms:

Email marketing

Email marketing is a tool used to nurture leads and provide updates to customers. Effective email marketing informs the body of the email, the subject line and everything in between. All messaging is expertly crafted to convey a particular emotion and get individuals to buy into the email’s message.

Social media marketing

There is a wide variety  of social media platforms available for brands, and each requires a different approach. For example, you wouldn’t use the same language or voice on LinkedIn that you would on Instagram or Twitter.

Blog content

Blogs are tools that help you increase inbound traffic back to your website and enhance your SEO efforts. Blog content can inform your audience, teach them something new and foster a connection between your audience and your brand.

Paid advertising content

Paid advertising content is utilized to reach a new prospective audience. The language for these ads needs to be strategic and speak to a broad audience. This type of content is found on social media, banners and sponsored content on other websites. With the right paid content, you can position your brand as an industry expert while increasing traffic back to your website.

Infographic content

Infographics are display tools that inform your audience and deliver data in an easy-to-understand, visual format. The content is short, straight to the point and easy to comprehend. It’s there to complement the imagery and educate your audience. Infographics typically explore complex topics and help break down the information in a digestible format.

Take your digital marketing experience to the next level

In 2021, over 82% of companies claimed to use content marketing. That’s an increase of 12% from the previous year’s total. As more companies discover the value of content marketing, the practice is only expected to grow over the coming years. A recent Forbes survey showed that consumers spend an average of 7 hours per day consuming content. Each one of those hours provides an opportunity for a brand to introduce their content to a prospective audience. With carefully curated content and the right strategy, you can easily develop content that relates to your target audience and helps you see results. If you’re passionate about learning more about how content marketing can enhance your digital marketing efforts, consider enrolling in a Digital Marketing Bootcamp. Our Digital Marketing Bootcamp can accelerate your understanding of content marketing, SEO, keyword research and the strategies necessary to rank your website where it belongs. Connect with our Admissions team today to see if our bootcamp is a good fit for you.