Still hanging onto that content marketing strategy from 2019? Time for a change! In “normal” times, content strategies should be changed up annually in order to adapt to constant changes that affect target audiences, but since the pandemic, ensuring you stay ahead of the game is even more important.
If you’re unsure of how to evolve your content marketing, you’re in luck – we’ve compiled three ways you can improve your content to help you attract your target audience!
1. Don’t just personalize – hyper-personalize.
Adding a personal touch to your marketing is something we’ve recommended for a while, but we want to now take it one step further and go into hyper mode.
What does that mean exactly?
It means you need to go beyond things like customizing your emails to include your customer’s name or sending personalized SMS messages – you need to create a whole experience customized for each person in your target audience. What that looks like exactly will be different for every business, but some examples include segmenting your email list into very specific groups and tailoring your message to each one, developing different creative assets for each of your target audience groups, and sending emails to customers based on their buying history.
Hyper-personalizing also often includes the use of interactive elements, which we have delved deeper into in this blog.
If you need inspiration, think of how Netflix recommends movies and shows based on a person’s viewing habits, or this fun quiz from Aveda.
2. Create short-form video content.
With attention spans getting shorter and schedules getting longer, video continues to stand as the best way to effectively capture your audience’s attention and share your message in a memorable way. With the rise of Instagram Reels, Facebook Stories, and, of course, TikTok, the length of these videos have shrunk to tasty little morsels that people can’t help gobbling up.
The best thing about short-form video? You don’t need a production crew and expensive equipment to make something that works. A phone capable of shooting decent video and a great idea for a 30 second video is all you need! Showing your employees behind the scenes, shooting a quick how-to video of your products or services, and showcasing the fun that happens at your workplace are all fun ways to incorporate short-form video into your marketing strategy.
3. Empathize with your audience.
The last couple of years have made us all in need of a little more empathy, and that rings especially true for connecting with those that you wish to make your customers. Empathizing with your customers means taking a look through your customers’ eyes in order to create a content strategy that meets their current needs. You need to speak to your target audience as humans and not just potential customers. Some questions to ask yourself to help you along in this process are:
- Who exactly are our customers? Take into account things like average age, gender, and interests.
- What challenges do they have? Analyze what you and your competitors currently offer and look for gaps that can be filled.
- What motivates your target audience to take action? For some, it may take a video that tugs at their heartstrings; for others, a personalized email with a great limited time offer.
Hoping to make an impact with your content marketing strategy? Contact the digital marketing pros at Midwest Marketing!
