The role of content in an integrated marketing strategy

Blogs, videos, imagery and social. All of these, and more, fall under the giant colourful umbrella that is content marketing. It’s easy to see that the content world is a big one so it’s no massive shocker that it’s a key element of any integrated strategy, both on and offline.

What even is content marketing?

It’s a term that’s bandied around a lot in the digital sphere, but content marketing seems to have developed a multitude of definitions. In our eyes, content marketing is anything that involves the sharing of visual and written material on the net. Content is all about brand awareness and relationship building. Whilst content can generate some kickass data, us creators want to see users liking, sharing and engaging with marketing materials – for us, it’s all about the conversation.

But why do I need it?

It might not be as data-driven as other elements of digital marketing, like SEO or paid media, but content marketing is still key. Believe it or not, content provides the backbone for pretty much all of the other digital channels, and the results you’re hoping for on search engines or paid media might suffer without a wider engagement strategy.

Connecting the dots

Want to make sure your traffic driving strategy is as seamless as possible? You need content for that. No matter where you’re directing your users, you need somewhere for them to land. But that’s not all. You also want to make sure they land on a page that is user-friendly, relevant and informative, aesthetically pleasing and in line with your brand and consistent with your other marketing efforts. In short, you need quality content to convert that lead, whether they’re coming from PPC, organic search or social media ads. Valuable, relevant content that’s consistent with your brand identity and other digital channels will give your site engagement and conversion stats a boost. Trust us.

Stepping up the search ladder

If you think content is a “nice to have” element of your strategy, think again. If organic visibility is high on your list of priorities, great content is an absolute must-have. Any written content should be informed by keywords, whilst still being reader-friendly.  Headers and imagery can also be tagged up to ensure that every single element of your content is working hard from an SEO perspective.

Making an impact

There’s no point spreading the word about your great brand if you don’t have anything to make it memorable. Sure, you’re driving traffic and awareness through your search engine and ad strategies, but chances are, so are your competitors. Content that really puts the user first is a sure-fire way to keep your brand top of mind when it comes to that all-important conversion as well as cementing a loyal customer base.

Need some help with your integrated content strategy? We’ve got the creative know-how and data-driven minds to help you make your marketing work harder for your brand. Get in touch today to find out how we can help.