Content marketing is for life not just for Christmas
While we may live in an era of instant gratification, the old adage ? the best things come to those who wait? is still true. It?s just a shame so few companies realise it.
Some clients who contact Coastal Content are looking for a quick fix. They want to repair a damaged reputation, or they need a quick SEO boost up SERPS, or ideally want a blog post once a week to get them to number one in their niche. Some new businesses want to be number one on Google within three months of starting up.
It just doesn?t work like that.
It?s important for businesses to realise that any content marketing strategy is the long game. There is no instant gratification, no quick boost to SERPS or shortcut to the top. Like every single aspect of running a business, nothing is ever that easy.
Content marketing ? the long game
Content marketing isn?t about fast results. No truly effective marketing campaign can deliver instant gratification. What an effective marketing campaign can do, is provide long lasting benefits that can be maintained relatively easily.
I?m a cyclist, so I tend to use a fitness analogy to get this point across. Beginning a marketing campaign is like when you buy your first bike. The bike is new and shiny and you want to get right on it and explore the countryside. Yet to do it effectively you first need to know how the bike works, how to ride safely and then get fit enough to get where you want to go. Getting fit is slow, takes dedication and patience. Yet once you are there, you can enjoy all the benefits cycling offers and that fitness can be maintained with regular moderate exercise.
Content marketing is exactly the same. We have a steep learning curve at first and need to get your content fit for purpose before we begin seeing benefits. Once the content is fit and we have produced enough to begin making gains, we can ease off the gas a little while still maintaining forward momentum. Like getting fit, this process can take months.
The advantage of content marketing is that the fruits of our labour can last a long time. The content we produce offers value to your customers and provide multiple benefits to multiple stakeholders. Make it searchable and it will benefit your SEO efforts too and you can promote it across your social media channels for even wider appeal.
Content marketing is experiencing huge growth right now and for good reason. It is a marketing method that really puts the customer?s needs and wants at the heart of things. It delivers quality content that satisfies their desires while also benefitting your business. It?s rare that these two goals align but when they do, it?s awesome!
