Content marketing is everywhere. How can you stand out.

We’re moving away from “fluffy” content - that is, content that doesn’t offer new information, originality or value; content that promises something...

Picture of Lauren Nuttall Lauren Nuttall

Published: 28 Feb 2020

5 minutes read

Content marketing is everywhere. How can you stand out.

Content marketing: it’s the latest marketing buzzword and businesses across the globe are scrambling to get their content seen on the first page of Google. You want to do it, but don’t know how to. It’s frustrating. It’s hard work. But it’s worth it. 

Getting yourself heard amidst thousands of other noises, shouts and cries is undoubtedly the hardest part of content marketing. Many businesses make the mistake of ploughing money into it, hoping for the best, but this doesn’t work. It isn’t about money - it’s about creating value.

However, if you’re considering pursuing a content marketing strategy, all of this can be very overwhelming. So, with that in mind, here’s how you stand out in a world where everyone is trying to be seen.

Create content for passion, not profit

If you’ve ever produced content before, or even if you’re just getting started, you’ll probably be aware of how difficult it can be to decide what to actually create content about. Surprisingly, the answer is more obvious than you think. 

For B2B organisations in particular, it’s likely you’ll have a team of employees that each has different areas of knowledge and expertise on various topics surrounding your product or service. For example, if you’re a tech startup, you’re likely to have a wealth of information in-house about the ins and outs of your own software, wider knowledge of the tech industry, and up-to-date news about the sector. 

I know what you’re thinking: well, of course, my employees have knowledge and expertise. So what?

That’s what you create content about.

Instead of getting concerned with numbers straight away, use the passion, knowledge and expertise of your employees to create content that your customers actually want to read. Content that addresses problems your customers have, from the people who have been solving them for years. Not only does this give your content a unique edge because you’re writing about and for your customers, writing about the passion you have for your industry makes your company seem more human, and therefore more likeable

Quality > quantity

The internet: the same place that allowed millions of us to share our opinions and offer valuable advice to one another, has now left us to rummage through endless amounts of worthless, lacklustre content that doesn’t help anyone, and is actually extremely annoying. The last thing you want to do is add to the already overflowing stockpiles of useless content - you need to be better.

When you first start out with content marketing, it can be tempting to try and produce as much content as possible as quickly as you can. While the ambition is certainly admirable, this isn’t the right way to go. This method leads to rushed, unrefined content that won’t get the attention of your readers or the search engines.

When it comes to planning a content marketing strategy, quality is key. It’s a far better use of your time, budget and resources to focus on fewer pieces of content when you’re getting started with a campaign. This way, you can devote the necessary time and research to content that is properly informed, useful and most importantly, provides value to your potential customers. 

Get specific

In 2020, we’re moving away from “fluffy” content - that is, content that doesn’t offer new information, originality or value; content that promises something and never fulfils. 

Think about it, how many times have you clicked through to an article expecting to read something useful, only to be greeted with a bland, unoriginal piece that is nothing more than a weak attempt at a sales pitch?

Take this example: you see an article on “how to start a blog” and click through, only to read a piece of content all about the writer’s company and what they’re offering and very little information on how to go about starting a blog. 

How would you feel?

Annoyed? Rightfully so; but this kind of content is now so commonplace most of us are desensitised to it, and we simply close the window and go elsewhere. That’s the problem. If your content (such as a blog) doesn’t address what a prospect is answering immediately, then they’ll bounce right off your web page into the arms of your competitors. 

The main cause of this is usually because the content you’re writing isn’t specific enough

Many companies will create content on an extremely broad topic which simply cannot be explored fully in one piece of content. Because of this, they’ll often give elementary advice to their prospects (even when they’re claiming to be experts in their field) because the topic isn’t narrowed down. If you’re trying to attract high-value customers, writing this kind of content isn’t going to work. 

To avoid this, take the topic you want to create content about and break it down. For example, if you wanted to write a blog about “content marketing”, you wouldn’t write one huge impossible-to-even-comprehend blog called “how to do content marketing”. Instead, you should split the topic down into subtopics that are more easy to manage. For example, for “content marketing”, your subtopics may look like this:

  • How to start a B2B blog (we actually wrote this one here, if you’re interested)
  • How to promote B2B content through social media
  • How to use a CTA on a B2B blog

These subtopic ideas make for much more realistic, helpful and valuable pieces of content that your potential customers are more likely to engage with. 

What next?

Hopefully, you’ve seen that the world of content marketing isn’t as daunting as you’d first thought. It may be a strategy that nearly every business is doing and it is difficult to do it right - but that shouldn’t put you off.

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