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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThat’s where content marketing<\/a> comes in. Warshafsky explained that the best way to stand out from your competitors is to build a strong brand \u2014 and content marketing is the key to brand-building. By creating valuable and relevant content (that isn\u2019t just a sales pitch), you can establish yourself as a trusted resource while building relationships with your target consumers. Not a bad deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help the audience get started on their own content marketing journeys, Warshafsky outlined five key steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step in creating engaging content is to determine what your audience finds engaging. What are they searching for online? What problems are they trying to solve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n To start off, Warshafsky suggests Googling your main keyword (i.e. the product or service that you sell) along with the word \u201ccommunity.\u201d This will help you identify where your target customers spend time online and what they\u2019re talking about. Browsing online communities like Quora<\/a>, Reddit<\/a>, and Yahoo! Answers<\/a> is another great way to scope out your customers\u2019 pain points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, don\u2019t forget to listen to what people are telling you about your existing content. If you use Google Analytics<\/a> for your website, take a look at your exit pages. An exit page is the last page a visitor views before leaving your site entirely. If you notice a trend among all of your website visits, that may be a sign that a particular page isn\u2019t telling people what they want to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you know what questions your community has, it\u2019s time to start answering them. Again, Warshafsky recommends turning to Google. By searching for your keyword plus \u201cwrite for us,\u201d you\u2019ll uncover websites that are looking for content on your area of expertise. By publishing guest posts on these sites, you can start to build your brand reputation as well as link back to your own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quora<\/a> is another great platform for sharing your wisdom. Browse existing questions related to your industry and answer as many of them as you can. Or, if there aren\u2019t any questions that speak to you \u2014 \u201cjust anonymously ask your own question and then answer it!\u201d suggests Warshafsky. Look at Quora\u2019s analytics to see which of your answers were well-received by the community; this will tell you what to focus on when creating more involved content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to invest some time and effort (though not necessarily a ton of money) into creating valuable evergreen content. This is the content that is continually relevant to consumers, rather than being tied to a specific occasion or season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Warshafsky\u2019s favorite types of evergreen content is a short animated explainer video: \u201cYou\u2019ll start to find that when you meet with potential customers, they already know about your business.\u201d However, the possibilities for what you can create are endless \u2014 videos<\/a>, blog posts<\/a>, case studies<\/a>, ebooks<\/a>, and more. Put the content on your website and make visitors fill out a form to access it so you can engage with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not sure how to create content around what you do? Warshafsky has the solution. \u201cIf your business is kind of boring, consider doing a whiteboard animation. I don\u2019t know why, but everything in this medium is so interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you create content, it\u2019s important to include keywords that are important to your business. This is what tells search engines to display your content when users search for those keywords. But the more generic and popular a keyword is, the harder it will be for your content to rank in the top search results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter the long-tail keywords. These longer queries are searched for less often, but provide opportunities to create very focused content. As an example, consider the difference between the keywords \u201cCRM<\/a>\u201d and \u201cCRM that integrates with QuickBooks Desktop<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Long-tail keywords are great starting points for blog posts. And while \u201cwriting a blog is more of a marathon than a sprint,\u201d says Warshafsky, it can turn into a great long-term sales strategy. Of course, not everyone who visits your blog will have a need for what you sell. But the more visitors you attract, the more of them you can eventually convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final piece of the puzzle is content distribution \u2014 making sure your content reaches the people who want it. There are plenty of tools that can help you give your content the best chance of being found. For instance, you can ensure that Google has the most up-to-date view of your site using Search Console<\/a>, while HubSpot\u2019s Website Grader<\/a> can help you identify weaknesses in your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, focus on getting as many eyes on your content as possible. Warshafsky suggests syndicating your posts on Medium<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a> and linking back to your site to build its authority. Your email signature is also a great place to include a link to your latest piece of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you can use social media to distribute your content \u2014 but don\u2019t forget about the \u201csocial\u201d aspect. Says Warshafsky, \u201cPeople complain that social media doesn\u2019t drive sales, but that\u2019s not really the purpose of it. The purpose is to be human.\u201d Rather than shouting your business\u2019s merits from the rooftops, focus on truly engaging with your audience. As you build relationships and reputation, the payoff will naturally follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Start By Listening<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Answer Questions for Your Community<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Invest in Evergreen Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Use Your Blog to Win Long-Tail Keywords<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Focus on Content Distribution<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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