Frequently asked questions

4 Frequently asked questions about content marketing

Q1 What is a content audit?
A. A content audit is a review of the content you are producing and includes the topics chosen, types of content (e.g. video, long- and short-form articles, listicles and infographics) and the distribution channels you’re using (e.g. Facebook, website, mailers). Reviewing what you’re putting out there guides you to understand what’s working and what isn’t. It’s a fairly all-encompassing, but worthwhile, exercise and should include asking the following questions:

What type of content works well? Use metrics that measure bounce rates, time on page and actions taken after page views.
What type of content are you missing? Do you have enough long-form content to benefit your SEO? Are you capturing attention with visuals? You may find your mix is out of balance, in which case, you could start looking at including instruction/learning videos, explanatory infographics, and if your site is packed with products, explore ways to add reviews and influencer anecdotes (see question 4 )
What are your competitors doing? Do market research. Of course, you want your voice, message and standing to be uniquely yours, but by examining what others in your industry are doing, you can devise ways to differentiate your brand. See what they’re not doing and fill in that gap, or find ways to do what they’re doing, only better.
How well optimised is your content? Consider aspects like voice searches or conversational SEO, aside from the traditional keyword searches or benefits of long-form, well-written content.

Q2. How can I make my content more visually appealing?
A. Most of us are visual learners, and it’s a much more engaging way to interact with brands, and for brands to reach their target audience. Our brains process visual information about 60 000 times faster than text. Well-produced professional videos, images to illustrate bodies of text, infographics, etc, are all good ways to tell your story. If you’ve engaged in a content audit, you will be able to discern where visuals can liven up your brand messaging.

Q3. What is meant by customer’s pain points?
A. You may have heard of the phrase “pain points”, and how content marketing can address these customer concerns. Pain points include the following:

Financial: The customer wants to reduce their current spend on products and services.
Process: Prospects Customers? feel like they are wasting time with their current providers who?, and want to use their time more efficiently.
Support: Customers feel there is not enough support once a product or service has been paid for.

Pain points can also be anything of particular concern to your audience, a burning issue they need help with and something that your brand can respond to with its content. By shaping your content in the direction of your potential customers’ pain points, you gain a lot of leverage with generating leads. Afterwards, walk your talk to win them over.

Q4. How do I get customers to notice my content when they mainly visit my site to buy products?
A. The best way is to integrate content with the products themselves. The story cannot be just about the product, i.e. product descriptions consisting of features and specs. You need to add value too, and this can be achieved with product reviews and handy tutorials that show how customers can best use the products. For instance, if you’re selling camping and outdoor equipment, tutorials showing ease of use of a particular product, can be very useful. Then, step out of the product arena and feature stories on favourite camping spots around the country, or a must-have list when camping off the beaten track. Use an expert travel writer or content marketing agency to create content around broader topics related to your industry. After that, you can create stories about your company, including your creation story (Why outdoor life is so inspiring to you), why you’d love your customers to experience the joy of camping. By doing this you’re making things more personal. Then push the products again.

Developing a strong brand identity online is a skill, and in an everchanging domain where customer requirements are fluid, it’s a good idea to get professional content marketers on board. They can assist you right from the beginning of your content marketing journey – from outlining the strategy, advising on platforms, SEO, advertising, and more. Contact TPP to learn more.

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Award Winning Copy

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South Africa

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