How To Leverage Content Marketing Strategies To Beat Your Competitors
If you want to make it to the top, you have to differ from the competition. But in the eLearning niche, things are a bit crowded, and it's not that easy to stand out. What if you knew the right content marketing tactics to make the most of your efforts?
Let's face it, content marketing is a powerful tool in our arsenal, but it's also very competitive. Using the same repetitive strategy as everyone else won't lead you to a happy place.
Ask yourself, "What drives traffic to a webpage?" Well, there are two vital factors: a) great content and b) shareability and virality. Meaning, the better content you produce, the more chances it has to get a lot of shares among a specific community.
Please, do yourself a favor and don't just create content for the sake of the SERPs.
Instead, try to create exciting content that will keep social networks and eLearning pros engaged. It's a win-win because if they find it useful (or even entertaining), they'll share it with their peers. And then, your brand will become more visible and get more followers. So the story goes...
All the above is a cycle that guides prospects through content, making them turn into leads. First, come new inquiries, and then you see your sales skyrocket!
My point being... give and you shall receive!
One thing is certain, you need to follow a variety of content marketing tactics to get better rankings and reach your goals.
So, how much effort do you really put into your content marketing campaigns? Are you following the proper steps to promote your work and reach your ideal buyers? Check out these top 8 tactics to get inspiration for your next content marketing strategy!
8 Content Marketing Tactics To Rule Them All
1. Start Blogging...Consistently
Do you have a blog on your company's website? If not, you need to start changing your priorities. By adding a blog section on your website, not only will you increase your SEO, but it will give your brand more authority. As a result, you'll have the opportunity to create better customer relationships. In addition, you'll get to drive more traffic to your website!
Of course, you should not just rely on your own blog. Make sure to search around for influential bloggers in the eLearning niche. Ask them if they allow you to guest post for their audience. In this way, you'll help get more attention for your content and, consequently, your solutions.
If you do have a blog but it doesn't seem to bring any organic traffic, there are still ways to fix it. The first step is to define what your ideal audience wants to read. Then, start creating engaging, shareable content on a weekly basis. Finally, start guest posting on influential bloggers' websites.
And remember: eLearning marketers have the power to affect purchase decisions through content marketing.
2. Publish eBooks For Leads
Creating and publishing eBooks is one of the best content marketing tactics. Why? Well, we all need to accumulate leads and get our sales engine going.
When you decide to create an eBook, there's no need to write hundreds of pages. What you have to do is pile up the most appropriate information for your ideal buyers and serve them as an asset with good visuals and digestible content.
Simply put, an eBook is a perfect way to provide your website visitors with interesting tips, best practices, and solutions. Simultaneously, you've got a lot to gain since you'll fill your database with more email contacts!
How? Well, what's the point of creating an eBook and giving it for free? Plenty of marketers offer eBooks as gated assets; you can do the same by using the eBook download as an incentive for prospects to sign up for your emails!
Ensure that each page is written engagingly and leverage a graphic designer's skills to guarantee that your eBook looks visually enticing!
Remember to keep your sentences short. In addition, using bullet points will certainly help the flow of your eBook content. Also, note that reputable quotes and stats are great if you want to back up your statements with facts.
3. Run Live Webinars
Hosting a webinar is one of the most effective content marketing tactics. A fantastic idea would be to invite industry experts, clients, or potential customers to join you in the webinar. That way, you can leverage their circle of influence and start meaningful discussions with prospects.
During your webinar, you can give industry insights, answer FAQs, or talk about your products. You can even ask clients to explain why they decided to work with you in the first place.
We know a thing or two about running successful webinars; the secret recipe is to choose an exciting topic, focus on your ideal buyer's pain points, and then create hype before the event to get more registrations.
As you can understand, a webinar, besides being an excellent way to start communication with prospects, is also a great lead generation asset.
4. Develop Videos To Increase Engagement
Did you know that videos are one of the most engaging ways to connect with your audience?
Videos are easy to digest, plus they are much more memorable than plain texts. For example, explainer videos tend to be very effective. Remember, some of your website's visitors might love to read, but others might be leaning more toward audiovisual content.
Instead of creating a simple article based on written content, you could also create a relevant video and combine your insights. You can create animated videos or opt for a screen recording.
Before creating a video for your customers, think about what problems they're facing. By doing so, you'll get more ideas on how you can help them solve those problems. Don't forget to showcase the best parts of your product or service in your explainer video and how it solves prospects' pain points. Thus, this is one of the most interesting content marketing tactics you should try.
5. Create Infographics
Talking about content marketing tactics, you can't go wrong with an infographic. Marketers can use infographics as the perfect way to get their point across fast. Infographics are all about numbers and statistics, helping you create engagement and make a case for a specific topic. Simply put a bit of effort into your infographic design to get a slick result. That's all you need for people on the web to see them and love them.
A successful infographic is like tapping into a goldmine.
Before you start creating your infographic, make sure you've figured out how to tell your story. Obviously, you'll need plenty of research to find the right stats. And then, decide on how and what you want to point out. Don't forget to get the latest and most up-to-date facts possible. Also, consider updating your infographic every year to keep it relevant and fresh.
Need some more inspiration? Check out this infographic eBook guide full of creative ideas. Finally, make sure to share your infographics on blogs, social media, and communities.
6. Email Marketing
A savvy marketer should never underestimate the power of email marketing. If prospects have decided to sign up for your emails, there's a big chance that they'll want to receive tips and insights from your business.
However, you need to make sure that you provide helpful content to your contacts. Besides, content marketing is all about sharing valuable content, so forget about the sales pitch, and start building a relationship with them. The more they trust you and your tips, the more recognition your business gains, and eventually, they'll decide to purchase if what you offer solves their problems.
Talking about email marketing, there are plenty of content types that you can send to your customers. From eBooks and blog posts to event invites, exclusives, and competitions, you can get many conversions with this approach.
But, if your contact list is small, you'll need to think of ways to get website visitors to sign up and increase your lead generation. So, try to give your visitors incentives to sign up regularly. Then, you can follow through to nurture your leads and build up customer confidence.
Whatever you do, avoid hard selling constantly if you don't want to see those unsubscribes piling up that is...
7. Send Out Press Releases
Are you wondering how you can create brand awareness without much effort? Well then, you must start using press releases. Building hype and brand awareness is the very essence of press releases. Above all, they are one of the best content marketing tactics to attract attention to your eLearning business.
Are there any awards you've won recently? What about new partnerships or charity events? Maybe you've got top talent on board, and you want to brag about it. If one of the above applies, consider publishing a press release to get the word out!
Try to think outside the box, but please don't get discouraged if publications don't pick it up. Just remember that publishing content that is unique is always good for SEO.
If you need to create a buzz, you might also send or publish press releases on relevant niche websites, communities, or social media groups.
8. Use Social Media To Promote Content
Social media is a great way to reach your ideal audience today. You can leverage these channels to build engagement by also marketing yourself and your content. So, why not use social media to drive traffic to your website?
Note that the most important thing is what action you want followers to take. Above all, your goal should be to lure them to your website...Besides, you have more control over your blog, meaning that with a suitable CTA, you can get results for your eLearning business.
By doing it wisely, you can use social media to increase your blog audience. And then, you can also control the customer journey. The only thing you need is to build your email list. Then, you keep nurturing your subscribers, and the sales will follow.
Conclusion
Why Is An eLearning Content Marketing Strategy Important In 2022?
The importance of an eLearning content marketing strategy is undeniable because your ideal buyers are constantly searching online to find the solutions they need. Marketers who manage to serve prospects with content they want to consume have a lot more chances to increase conversions and sales.
Plus, a successful content strategy is a win-win because you get more brand awareness with less cost. What I mean is, you invest once to create your content marketing plan and run all the relevant promo campaigns. Then, when your content starts ranking, you'll have constant organic traffic to your landing pages for years to come.
But, before you even start creating content, in order for it to be engaging and successful, you've got to understand your audience in order to give them what they want to consume.
Firstly, you have to discover what your ideal customers are looking for. To do so, you must focus on keyword research. For starters, explore the existing demand for your preferred topic through Google Trends. It's very easy; just type your main keyword into the search box. The tool will help you learn how many searches it received within a specified period!
The above will give you a rough overview of how people are searching for the keywords you chose. If you want more detailed information, you should look at Ahrefs, SEMRush, or even Ubersuggest.
If you find these SEO tools hard to handle, you can always reach out to SEO experts. You'll manage to save time and get the best insights for your content strategy!
How To Choose Which Content Marketing Strategies Are Right For Your eLearning Brand
Obviously, every business is unique; thus, each business has different goals and aspirations. So even though there are various content marketing tactics you can try, some might work and some might not.
Identifying the ideal content marketing solutions for your business should be your primary focus. Make sure to find your brand voice and tailor a strategy that fits your company culture. Also, ensure that your content marketing strategy is unique and has the power to reach the right target buyers.
The number one rule of creating a proper content marketing strategy is to understand what your brand stands for before you even begin to envision what you want to talk about. Decide how you want to convey your values, and write down all the goals you want to achieve.
Try to segment your audience if you want to increase engagement. Besides, you have to cover all the parts of the customer journey.
Don't forget to conduct a competitor analysis if you want to find the best topics for your strategy. In this way, you'll manage to top your competition but also offer prospects what they want to consume. Creating an editorial calendar will certainly help you plan your content strategy better. Be ready to evolve and never stop optimizing your campaigns!
Once you’ve worked all these out, it’s much easier to pick and choose which content marketing tactics will work for your eLearning brand.
