Everyone talks about it, brands spend big money on it, and you probably spend a major portion of your marketing hours sweating over it. Content marketing sure has come a long way. Today it is simply the way of communicating and engaging with potential patients. If your content can solve, alleviate, or address common pain-points, then you are what potential patients want. However, great content by itself cannot bring you results. You need to market your content to your target audience. This then brings us to the big question: What is your content marketing strategy?
WHAT IS YOUR BRAND'S CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY?
Content marketing can prove to be highly instrumental in connecting you with potential patients. When you create and publish highly relevant range of content, not only can you reach out to your target base and display your expertise, but you are providing them with something of value.
CONTENT MARKETING STATISTICS IN 2014
63% OF READERS are more likely to make a purchasing decision based on what they read over blogs as opposed to magazines
73% OF B2B CONTENT MARKETERSare focusing on generating more content in 2014 than they did last year
66% of the most successful content marketers have a well defined content strategy in place
52% OF CONSUMERS say blogs impacted their buying decisions
Customer testimonials can provide the highest effectiveness rating when it comes to influencing buyers - THE FIGURE SITS AT 89%
Compared to traditional marketing, content marketing costs 62% LESS and can provide businesses with THREE TIMES AS MANY leads
And that's not all; Content marketing adopters can expect to see six times higher website conversion rates! This is how fast and effective content marketing is in today's highly completive market space. For cosmetic surgery practices the message in simple: invest your time and effort in creating fresh and highly relevant content in the form of articles, blog posts, social content, whitepapers, and visual items among others and benefit from improved patient engagement.
WHAT IS THE SELLING POTENTIAL OF YOUR CONTENT?
Content marketing is an important aspect of brand building. Moreover, as more and more content gets created, it will become even more important to focus on producing items that are highly relevant and are best suited for addressing constant algorithmic changes of popular search engines. The best approach to producing great content today involves the adoption of great storytelling aspects with effective journalism.
CHECK-LIST FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE AND HIGHLY SHARE-WORTHY CONTENT
Can your content pass the “Why Should I Care” test?
Does your content have a “surprise” element?
What is the universal appeal quotient of your content?
Can it generate sufficient interest?
How fresh and relevant is your content?
Does your content make your brand stand apart from your competition?
The most effective content should be able to address each of the above mentioned six points. If you want your online content marketing strategy to succeed, you will need to start thinking like a journalist—focus on what compels potential patients to act. Talk to your patients, review and monitor your online marketing metrics, and identify what your audience really cares about. Once you have this information you can start producing content which best resonates with the needs or your target audience base.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN CONTENT MARKETING
If we are talking about content marketing, social media cannot be far behind. In fact, today you cannot expect to run a successful online marketing campaign in isolation. You need to focus equally on social media marketing among other elements. After all, a very large portion of the online audience consumes content over social platforms.
Social media's value in online marketing stems from its ability to quickly advocate brand presence and retain visitor attention. With social media you have the greater benefit of multiple points of contact and interaction and this is what has pushed the boundaries of effective customer engagement over social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA'S GROWING INFLUENCE
Social Media influences 93% OF CONSUMER BUYING DECISIONS
The next five years will see social media MARKETING BUDGETS DOUBLE
- 71% of users access social media over a mobile device
72% of all internet users today are active over social media
Those in the 18-29 age bracket have89% social media usage
72% of those in the 30-49 age bracket are active over social media
60% in the 50 AND 60 age bracket use social media
43% in the 65 PLUS bracket use social media
- http://socialtimes.com/infographic-20-marketing-trends-and-predictions-to-consider-for-2014_b137315
- http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/35471.asp?imcid=nl#singleview
- http://www.b2bmarketing.net/blog/posts/2013/12/10/how-b2b-sales-have-changed-infographic?utm_ content=buffer90016&utm_source=Webbiquity.com
- http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Tactics-Work-Best-Optimizing-Different-Digital-Ad- Formats/1010279
- http://adage.com/article/global-news/10-things-global-ad-market/245572/?utm_source=Webbiquity.com
- http://www.smartinsights.com/internet-advertising/internet-advertising-analytics/display-advertising- clickthrough-rates/
EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MARKETING INFLUENCE
Social media has moved beyond simply increasing follower counts. Anytime you share great content over your social platforms you are increasing your engagement potential. Use your social platforms to coordinate with bloggers, subject matter experts, your patients and employees, as well as members of the media to drive brand exposure.
Your social media followers can be great brand evangelists, so use them in your content creation process. If you can co-create content through their participation, your bucket of ideas and the “share” potential of your content will increase dramatically.
EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MARKETING INFLUENCE
Social media has moved beyond simply increasing follower counts. Anytime you share great content over your social platforms you are increasing your engagement potential. Use your social platforms to coordinate with bloggers, subject matter experts, your patients and employees, as well as members of the media to drive brand exposure.
Your social media followers can be great brand evangelists, so use them in your content creation process. If you can co-create content through their participation, your bucket of ideas and the “share” potential of your content will increase dramatically.
CONCLUSION
Your content can provide a unique and honest voice for your cosmetic surgery practice brand. However, search visibility criteria are forever changing and the constant area of focus for cosmetic surgery practices should be on robust strategizing of their content creation process and identifying the best ways to promote it.
Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa.com. Ekwa Marketing is a complete Internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media marketing, and the online reputations of dermatolo- gists and plastic surgeons in the US, Canada, and the UK. Visit them online at www.ekwa.com.
