In 1996 Microsoft founder Bill Gates coined the Internet meme “Content is King.” That was true and it still holds true. Ever since, we have witnessed how big brands have built and cultivated around content. As we entered 2015, discussions around using content marketing to build a brand have picked up even more speed.
Discussions are moving in so many ways that a blurred line has been created between what’s true and what isn’t. In this article, I would be discussing two tested and most important content marketing elements you can adopt to build your brand.
Wrap your content in you brand manifestation
In today’s world of tough competition, it is simply not enough to publish articles and wait for them to build you brand. Your content ought to be instantly perceptible, communicate your brand’s underlying philosophy, and be engaging, valuable, and fitting to the needs of the consumer. This is called brand manifestation. To develop your content around your brand manifestation, adopt a specific content style and tone.
- Content style: Some people would mistake style for tone. You must tell them that tone is simply an element of style whereas style is the fashion in which your article and blogs are written, ordering elements like sentence stretch and edifice. Your content style shall support your brand manifestation and cater to the needs of your target audience.
- Content tone: Tone is an important component of your content style. It is basically the attitude of your content. In other words, it is the attitude with which you gear your content towards your target audience. For example, if your target audience consists of youngsters, you may bring humor in to your content to keep them reading and engaged. On the other hand, if your target audience consists of serious, business-like individuals, you can adopt a serious tone.
Don’t miscalculate consumer acumen
Today’s consumers are well-informed, tech savvy and intelligent. While developing content to build your brand, never underrate acumen of your target audience. If you think that you can use content as a carrot to attract consumers or make them loyal, think again. This strategy has become obsolete, as consumer intelligence has rapidly shot up. If you really want to build your brand with content marketing, read on.
If you seriously want to spawn consumer attention in your brand, develop extraordinary stories around unique characteristics of your brand. You not only have to exceed consumer expectations through your content, but also have to delight them. If done properly, your consumers will take up your content distribution task. They will share it all over the Internet. This is what will create brand engagement and brand awareness.
Don’t waste your time developing publicity content in the hope of creating a brand. Create irresistible stories instead. Remember, storytelling is not intended to sell your stuff. Use it to string relationships with your consumers and create a cult over time.
Rapid developments in both the digital landscape and consumer intelligence have generated new challenges and have opened new windows of opportunities for you to build your brand through spot-on content marketing strategies. Brands that adopt specific style and tone according to consumer interests and needs, and create interesting stories to engage their consumers will witness increasing rate of return over time.
Charles Dearing is a regular writer at PatientSites and is a known name in the industry. He is an expert marketing and business writer with deep knowledge in brand building and marketing.