10 content marketing ideas that will improve your brand

Content marketing is a proven way to build your brand and increase sales. 59% of content marketing budgets are spent on content creation and distribution according to Target Marketing Mag due to the return on investment. The best brands in the world have developed long-term relationships with their customers through consistent, quality content. In an age when we consume countless amounts of content through various social platforms, content marketing can be what you need to scale.

Content marketing educates and empowers your customers.

What makes a piece of content valuable? How do you know if the content you’re producing is valuable. Your content is valuable if it helps your target audience solve real problems.

Here are 10 content marketing ideas that will improve your brand and gain the trust of more paying customers:

1. Evergreen educational blog posts

   This is type of content has produced a great deal of success for companies all around the world. For those who don’t know, what does evergreen mean? Evergreen content is content that stays true and still provides value over the years. For example, a dentist writing a blog post on the top 10 foods to avoid for a better smile will never get old. A physical therapist might create a blog post on 3 stretches that will help people with tight hips. Evergreen blog posts provide you with content you can share over and over again.

2. Industry predictions

   One way to set your brand apart from your competition is to share your thoughts on the direction of your industry. You can share your insight through different types of content such as video, infographics, and blog posts. Here are a few ideas you can use and customize to your business when it comes to content focused on industry predictions:

   • Here’s what every HR director needs to know with the new California state laws

   • 10 things you need to try with your YouTube marketing in 2019

   • This is how VR will change real estate sales

   • Avoid tax penalties by doing these 7 things in 2020

   • Here’s what China’s new tariffs will mean for small businesses

3. Share your knowledge on Instagram Stories

   Instagram Stories are a quick way to educate your followers and gain organic engagement. Stories don’t stay forever unless you add them to your highlights. By using Stories, you can share industry updates and tips. You can use Instagram Stories to run polls and quizzes to better get to know your followers and help them make better decisions.

4. Facebook Live videos with a guest expert

   An effective way to increase your organic reach on Facebook is by using Live videos. To get more fans and engagement, team up with a guest expert on a topic in your industry. The video doesn’t need to be super long. It could even be a 5 minute chat on a trending topics. For example, if you run a mixed martial arts (MMA) school, here are a few different experts you can team up with:

   • Strength and conditioning coach

   • Sports psychologist

   • Nutrition expert

   • Amateur MMA champion

   • Muay Thai champion

   • MMA referee

   When you team up with experts in your industry, you organically increase your reach and engagement because they have their own following.

5. Infographic explaining how to use your product/service

   It’s not uncommon for a business to receive negative reviews from customers who don’t understand how to properly benefit from a product or service. It’s not fair to an appliance company’s online reputation to take a hit from customers who don’t use their products properly. It’s not fair to a tax accountant to deal with a complaining client who doesn’t send the tax accountant all of the information needed to file taxes. An infographic can help customers be more empowered. When customers are empowered, they will be happy and be more loyal to your brand.

6. Email marketing campaigns

   Another way to regularly connect with your followers is with email marketing campaigns. There are many different things you can share via email from notifying customers of discounts and sharing blog posts with them. Remember that one of the keys to successful email marketing is consistency.

7. Polls on Facebook

   Do you want to gain a better idea of your audience’s knowledge? Do you want to know their opinions about the features of new products? Facebook polls are a simple way to gain quick feedback. Here’s how to create a poll on Facebook that people will engage with (link). You can gain more information on your audience in an organic way.

8. Instagram Live ask-me-anything (AMA)

   An AMA Instagram Live event is an effective tool if you regularly receive a high percentage of engagement on your Instagram Business Profile. This content marketing idea can be a great way to develop relationships with followers especially if you have a large following. Industry thought leaders can gain new followers and further establish themselves as experts after an effective AMA session.

9. Guest blog post collaboration

   Like the Facebook Live videos with industry experts, the power of a guest blog post is in the collaboration. Your guest should be from a company whose products and services compliment your business. Doing so will create more opportunities to pass business to each other. Another benefit of a guest blog post is improved SEO. You’ll be able to earn more backlinks to your website.

10. Educational workshop

    One way to increase brand awareness while creating more opportunities to increase sales is by running a workshop. Workshops give your followers and fans a chance to interact and actively learn together. You’re able to better empower your customers by helping them gain more knowledge.

    The workshop you host could be an hour long. It could a few days long. The important thing is that you focus on providing value the entire time.

Always provide value by helping your target audience solve their problems.

Always keep in mind that content marketing is about the long game. It’s important that you’re consistent in your content production and that you continue to share your knowledge. Your investment in content marketing will put you in position to be an industry leaders and will help you develop long lasting relationships with your customers.

For any questions you might have about content marketing, email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!

4 best practices to get more out of your Facebook videos

Facebook videos are one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and increase sales. More and more Facebook users are consuming video content due to the engaging nature of videos. According to a study by Locowise, Facebook videos engage 5.49% of the audience reached compared to 4.67% of audience reached by photos.

Facebook videos are an effective way to engage with your fans.

Have you already been producing Facebook videos but you’re not getting the views you expected? Nothing is more frustrating than putting in a lot of work but no one is watching your videos. Here four things you need to do to get the most out of your Facebook videos:

1. Headlines matter

   The headlines you create make a difference. Focus on sticking to headlines that clearly explain the value your video provides for your audience. Lists and how-to videos tend to do well organically so if that’s the type of video you’ve produced, make sure your headline reflects that. Remember to be honest in your headline and not mislead Facebook users who choose to watch your video. It’s one of the fastest ways to lose trust and credibility.

2. Add captions

   One way to get more views is by paying attention to people who watch videos with the sound off. Not everyone consumes video content with the sound on so captions enable viewers to still engage in silence. A great tool available on Facebook is the auto-caption generator. We use this tool to save us a lot of time from having to write individual caption for each part of your video. While Facebook does generate captions automatically, we recommend you review the captions for accuracy.

3. 3 minute minimum

   Believe it or not, the Facebook algorithm favors videos that are at least 3 minutes long! This is especially true for your videos that are focused on generating ad revenue through YouTube. On the other hand, if you’re releasing a high quality video, then a minimum of at least a minute is key. While a 3 minute minimum is a best practice, it’s up to you to figure out the perfect length of video for your followers. Some Facebook users have no problem regularly watching videos that are 5-10 minutes long while others only stick around for videos that are 90 seconds in duration.

4. Clear call-to-action

   Do your video viewers know what to do after watching your video? A call-to-action helps your viewers understand the next step they should take after watching your content. Whether it’s to buy your product or to get them to start eating healthy, there should be no doubt as to what needs to happen. Include your call-to-action in your video and also in your video description.

What do you do now?

Get more people buying your products with a clear call-to-action.

Now that you’ve learned four best practices to get more out of your Facebook videos, which practices are you not doing? Which practices are you already implementing in your videos? Stick to what you’re already doing and start using the tips you haven’t been using. You’ll be able to increase your organic reach and engagement.

Do you have any questions about Facebook video marketing? Email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com with your questions!

14 social media statistics that will help you make better marketing decisions

Knowing more about the social media marketing will only help you be more effective in your online efforts. As more and more of the world’s population gains access to smartphones, the social media ecosystem will continue to grow. In fact, there are 3.499 billion active social media users.

Here are 14 social media statistics focused on helping you learn more about the social media ecosystem and current trends:

Mobile-first marketing helps you build your brand as more and more people shift their attention to mobile devices.

1. 81% of small and medium businesses are active on social media

2. Between April 2018 and April 2019, more than 202 million new users joined social media platforms

3. 91% of social media users access platforms (i.e. Facebook, Instagram) with mobile devices

4. More than 500 million Instagram Stories users around the world in January 2019

5. Influencer recommendations are responsible for 49% of social media consumer purchases

6. $74 billion was spent on social ads in 2018

7. American adults watch a minimum of 1 hour and 16 minutes of video on mobile devices every day

8. 55% of social media users in the U.S. watch online videos every day

9. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 85% of B2B marketers experienced success due to content creation

10. 54% of social media users use social media to research products they’re interested in buying

11. Brands are more likely to be recommended by customers who had a positive social media experience to friends and family

12. 37% of Americans use Instagram

13. Instagram is the favorite social media network for 24% of U.S. teenagers

14. 2 hours and 22 minutes per day is the average amount of time people spend on social media and messaging

Which statistic surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!

As social media usage continues to grow, it’s important that you become a social media practitioner for your brand. You can’t improve your social media marketing efforts if you’re not actively posting and trying to figure out what your online presence needs to grow. It’s important that you continually maintain an active presence on social media. Why? Consistent activity helps your brand become a reliable source of information for your customers.

Have you given up on social media marketing? Email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!