It’s 2013. Plenty of companies are using different types of marketing strategies to reach out to potential customers. Content marketing is one of them, and this method involves the creation and distribution of written material to appeal to a target audience. Perhaps the central question that all marketing aficionados want to know though, is how can these strategies become more customer-centric? Here’s what you should know:
Speak to the Audience
In formal writing, many people use the third person. Terms such as “their,” “he” and “she” are not uncommon to this style. However, these words feel impersonal when you’re trying to speak to customers. Instead of utilizing this formal style of speaking, switch over to the second person – you. By speaking directly to the customer, you’ll convey information in a way that’s friendly and understandable to the reader.
Use that Tone Wisely!
Tone is another tool you can play with to properly address the target audience. For example, let’s say that you’re writing a question and answer guide, geared toward young mothers with infants. The guide is about health, and at the end, you’re going to recommend the services of a local pediatrician. Using a sarcastic and dry tone is probably not the best here. Instead, you want to make the mothers feel welcome and comfortable. Sarcasm would be more appropriate if you were trying to draw individuals into a more pop culture-focused piece or something intended for humor.
Answer Their Questions
Speaking of a question and answers type of guide, you always want to make sure that your pieces are answering the questions that your customers might ask. You could distribute a survey before you create any more pieces to find out what it is that your potential consumers want to know. Then, read through your finished piece and try to anticipate any questions that your information might inspire. If you say that a particular website has great deals, readers will want to know exactly what those prices are, when they can be found, etc.
Don’t Get Too Excited
When customers go to read pieces about a particular shop or product, they’re already showing some interest in it. Certainly, you want to remind them that a product or company is excellent and tell them how to access it, but you don’t want to come off as overly promotional, as many people are easily turned off by this technique. Remember to keep what your customers already know in mind and recognize that they’re bringing something to the table as well. You should also be careful with SEO strategies and keywords. If a piece is stuffed with them, the work won”t look natural anymore, so you need to exercise caution.
If you’re using content marketing strategies, the ultimate goal is to please the customers and to make sure they’re satisfied with what they’ve read. By implementing these strategies, you’ll prove that the customers are important to you and that you’re really concerned with satisfying them.
Jessica Marshfield writes about marketing, education and most recently, her experiences earning a web design degree online.
Kelsey Jones
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Tone can really make a big difference, I agree.