Multi-channel content marketing is a current trend in the digital marketing industry, and many businesses are starting to use it. To understand what multi-channel content marketing is, this blog post will explain the history of online content marketing and its future potential.
What does multi-channel content marketing mean?
Multi-channel content marketing is a marketing strategy through which businesses use social networking and traditional media such as television and radio to promote their brands, products and services.
Businesses also produce content for their websites and employ search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to improve search rankings on search engines.
In the past, businesses used one form of media to advertise their brands, products or services. Today, they use multiple forms of media (multichannel marketing) to reach a wider audience with less effort.
With more media channels available and the Internet connecting them all, multi-channel content marketing allows businesses to target consumers with more specific messages, while also reaching larger audiences. By using multiple channels to get content out to consumers, businesses are able to reach their target audience in multiple ways at one time.
What are these content marketing channels and how to use them?
1. Social Media
This has become the most popular channel for businesses to advertise their brands, products, and services. Social media sites are suitable for businesses because they are user-friendly and allow consumers to share their experiences with other persons.
This is a powerful form of content marketing because the consumer’s experience can be shared through different channels. The consumer can tell everyone that she has eaten at a restaurant in her community, posted photographs of her new baby on Facebook or shared her favourite recipes on Pinterest.
2. Paid Advertising
The Internet and social media have made it possible for businesses to advertise on search engines.
Paid advertising is the most popular form of online advertising because it is highly cost-effective and allows businesses to reach audiences across various channels. Magazine, newspaper and radio advertisements have traditionally been used as paid advertisements, but now Internet ads allow businesses to advertise with a wider audience of consumers.
Examples of paid online advertising include display ads on websites, display ads in search engines, sponsored links through social media networks and pop-ups within email messages.
3. Company Websites
Businesses produce and publish content on their websites to gain media exposure. Their websites are the main communication channel for businesses because they can advertise their brands and products more effectively because of the content they include on their sites.
Through their websites, businesses can also promote special events and provide useful information. The most effective way to promote a website is with opinion articles written in relevant topics, which will both reach a wide audience and allow the consumer to share her experience with others.
4. Blogs and Newsletters
Businesses use blogs to share ideas and provide information. They can write their blogs for free or pay to have them listed on popular blog sites. In addition, businesses can hire a writer to write material for them.
They can also put their own content in newsletters, which are delivered through email messages and email subscription lists. The purpose of these two forms of content marketing is to reach a wider audience of consumers.
5. Email
An email is an effective form of content marketing because consumers receive the emails in their inboxes. Businesses can send out an email newsletter to their customers or consumers and share their products, services or ideas with them.
Consumers appreciate getting information about new products, events or services through email lists because they don’t have to spend time searching for the information.
6. Video
Video is a relatively new form of content marketing. Businesses are starting to use this medium because consumers enjoy watching videos, and companies can produce videos for free on YouTube, which is owned by Google.
Companies can put their products in videos to show how they work or put video advertisements on YouTube and other video sharing sites.
7. Audio
Audio is another less commonly used form of content marketing because consumers do not interact with it as much as they do with websites and videos.
Businesses can use audio to advertise their products through radio, podcasts and as pre-recorded messages included with other types of media, such as websites and video.
8. Print (newspapers, magazines)
Print marketing is another traditional form of advertising that is starting to be used for content marketing.
Businesses are starting to advertise in magazines and newspapers, which they can do for free through ads in classified publications or display advertisements in magazines.
This is an effective form of content marketing because consumers still get the information through printed media. They can also share their experiences with others.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
1. Price:
Content marketing is a relatively inexpensive way to reach a large audience if done well. It is also relatively quick and easy compared to traditional forms of advertising such as radio or television advertising, which can be expensive and take months to accomplish.
Graphic designers can come up with well-designed PowerPoint slides, which are fairly inexpensive compared to traditional advertisements.
2. Information about the company:
Through content marketing, you can share your expertise, knowledge or product experiences with others. This allows you to express your ideas and provide valuable information to consumers.
It is also easier than traditional forms of advertising, such as radio or television advertising because consumers don’t have to pay attention for hours at a time and they are not interrupted by commercials or commercials interrupting their favourite shows.
3. Long-term results:
When you use content marketing, your potential customers have the opportunity to interact with your products or services in a more personal way. This increases customer loyalty and makes it more likely for consumers to purchase from you.
4. Builds trust and authority:
Content marketing can build trust and authority because producers of content can be experts, experts, authorities or people who have something interesting to say. This can set your company apart from other companies because you will have more credibility with consumers.
5. Reach a wide audience:
Content marketing is an effective way to reach a large audience because consumers and potential customers are constantly looking for new information on the Internet and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.
You can post your content on websites, blogs, social media networks or online forums to reach a large audience and promote your company.
6. Easy to measure:
It is easier to measure the success of content marketing because you can track how many consumers are reading your posts and how frequently they are replying.
You can also measure clicks on links in emails, views of videos or the number of comments left in blog posts. This can help you determine which posts are most popular and which advertisements result in the most sales.
What is the process of content marketing?
There are many online resources that explain the process of content marketing in great detail. However, it is a fairly simple process for companies to use content marketing. It can be broken down into four stages:
1. Plan your multi-channel content marketing strategy:
Before you begin, you should determine how you plan to use content marketing to reach a broad audience and promote your company’s products and services.
For example, will you use video to promote your products or services? Or will you build a blog to share information and your knowledge about your industry? You can also write articles on your website or write an email newsletter.
When you have a plan in place, you can allocate more time for content marketing activities and make sure that they contribute to the success of your company.
2. Produce content:
Once you have a strategy in place, it’s time to create content. You can choose from several different types of content such as audio, video or print.
These can be advertisements that you include with other types of media, such as websites and videos. For example, you could build a website for your company using a hosting service like Bluehost and write posts for it.
You could also create a blog on your website to share information with potential customers and create an email newsletter to share information and connect with consumers who already have contact with your company.
3. Promote your content:
Once you have created your content, you need to promote it. This can be done through the channels you have chosen. For example, if you have created videos and posted them on YouTube, you can share them on social media sites and other video sharing sites to increase their exposure.
You can also share your blog posts on social media networks, such as Facebook or Twitter or through email newsletters to increase their exposure. You can promote your products and services in blog posts and articles by including links to related pages on your website.
4. Measure the results:
Content marketing is a model that can be measured, so you should measure the content marketing process to determine which posts are most popular and which ads or articles result in the most sales or other benefits.
You can use tools such as Google Analytics, which will show you how many people view your blog posts and other content on the Internet. You can also use tools to track clicks on links from email messages or other content that includes links to your website.
You can also measure the results of your content marketing strategy by measuring the number of replies on your blog posts, how many times people viewed videos or articles on your website and other measurable results.
Conclusion
Content marketing is an effective model for driving sales and increasing customer loyalty. As a strategy, it is relatively easy to measure and use to your advantage. You can also have a significant impact on your business by using content marketing in your advertising campaigns.
It will be important for you to determine how you use content marketing to promote your products or services, measure the results and make adjustments as necessary. In addition, it will be important for you to share your expertise with others through content marketing so you can provide valuable information about your products and services to consumers.
The content marketing model can work in a variety of industries. You may also find that other companies are already using this type of strategy and have the best ideas about creating content that will work well in their business models. If so, it will be important for you to use resources that explain the content marketing process in detail and find an appropriate strategy to help your company succeed.
Want to learn more about content marketing strategy? Check out our content marketing guide here.