When implemented effectively, content marketing can:

• Shape brand preference and influence future purchasing decisions
• Drive social media shares and attract inbound links
• Empower customers by giving them control
• Support search engine optimization (SEO) initiatives
• Boost brand awareness
• Generate high-quality leads at a lower cost compared to traditional marketing methods

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP VS. PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

When planning your content strategy, it’s crucial to differentiate between promotional material and thought leadership. Thought leadership shows a deep understanding of your prospects’ and customers’ challenges and offers guidance toward solutions.

Any vendor can produce product-focused brochures and promotional content, but the most trusted vendors—those that stand out—are the ones dedicated to genuinely helping their audience. Buyers are naturally drawn to these vendors.

At Marketo, our approach is to create content that helps people become better marketers. We focus on educating our audience about marketing automation and how it can enhance their effectiveness. Rather than constantly pushing sales messages, we aim to demonstrate the benefits of investing in marketing automation.

Even when discussing our expertise—marketing automation—we prioritize thought leadership over direct promotion.

Content Marketing CTAs Even educational content should include a strong, clear call-to-action (CTA). A CTA is a marketing message designed to motivate the reader to take action, such as subscribing to a blog, downloading an ebook, or signing up for a demo.

A successful CTA should:

• Stand out visually
• Clearly state the action you want the lead to take
• Create a sense of urgency
• Be placed prominently within the content

ASK THE EXPERTS: CONTENT MARKETING
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF CONTENT MARKETING HOLD?

THE CONTENT PLANNING PROCESS

As with any aspect of marketing, it’s essential to have a strategy before diving into content marketing. It’s not about producing content for its own sake—it’s about engaging potential buyers. To do this effectively, you need a plan that aligns with your goals, identifies your target audience’s key concerns, provides content ideas that address these concerns, and includes a calendar for consistent content creation.

Creating Your Personas

The first step is to develop your buyer personas—most brands will need multiple personas. A buyer persona is a representation of your ideal customer, built from customer demographics, behavior, and your understanding of their motivations and challenges.

Buyer personas help you:

• Identify the type of content you need
• Define the tone, style, and delivery methods for your content
• Pinpoint the topics you should focus on
• Understand where buyers seek information and how they prefer to consume it

Download the guide and continue reading to boost leads with effective content marketing!

Related guide: The No-Sweat Guide to Social Content Marketing | Brandwatch

Table of Contents of “Content Marketing for Lead Generation” Guide: