I usually spend Sunday mornings sipping coffee out of my favorite mug wrapped up in my fleece blanket. For me, Sundays are always productive. In fact, it’s the day I create most of my content. There’s just something about Sundays that spark my creativity. Maybe it’s the slow pace of the day….or the lack of personal obligations. Whatever the reason, I’m thankful for Sunday mornings- and for writing.

Creating content is something I’ve always enjoyed. I’ve been a content creator for years now which has always helped me stand out in the competitive digital marketing industry. It seems like everyone is selling something these days! But, I can tell you with confidence, what separates good marketing from bad is quality content. Here are a few ways to create quality content…

Provide Value

You can’t just continuously keep asking people to buy your product/service day after day. That’s not a good marketing strategy. You have to provide value. Make your audience want to engage with your brand. The biggest thing you need to know about content marketing is that it’s about your audience, not you or your service.

Focus On The Customer Experience

Marketing is about creating micro experiences (many of them digital). It’s about how your brand or service makes a person feel. Take a moment to review your customer experience from top to bottom from the perspective of the consumer.

Solve A Problem

Problem solving is NOT a secret in the marketing world! A good product/service solves a problem. It really is that simple. This is why it’s essential to take the time to understand your target market and audience. What’s holding them back? What’s the biggest challenge they face everyday?

Paint A Picture

Create your content with a before/after focus. Here’s what your life looks like now (problems audience faces) vs. what you life will look like after my product or service. You have to use storytelling to walk them through. Forget about click bait or cheap marketing gimmicks (Bait and Switch will destroy your brand) and focus on building quality content.

Branding Matters

Sales matter. I get it! But so does branding. If you don’t spend time building your brand, it will not grow. You can’t just continuously send people an email asking them to buy something. You need to focus on the customer experience through all interactions. How do people feel about your brand?

American Girl™ is a great example of good branding…of customer experiences…of a product that’s been around for decades. Their website is full of games, activities, downloads and tons of other fun ways to interact and engage. Their in-store experience makes ME want to buy a doll (as a 33-year-old woman) every time. From the doll cafe to the doll hair salon to the customizable dolls and ALL of the accessories….I’m sold! Even when I don’t buy a doll, I love the experience. It makes me feel good. I’m on the email list and I will flip through every page of the magazine when they send it twice a year. And, in case you’re wondering….I have four daughters so we do purchase the dolls on occasion.

Forbes Magazine predicts that content marketing departments will grow in 2019. This is not a surprise to me, I’ve been doing it for years.

I know content can drive traffic like no other.

I know it can push people to a website as part of the customer experience.

I know everything about the benefits of quality content.