Will content still be king of digital marketing in 2023?

With the rise of the digital age, digital marketing plays an even more significant role in almost all business marketing efforts than ever before. No matter the industry, companies, both large and small, can reap the benefits of having an effective digital marketing strategy in place. Incorporating a digital marketing strategy into your marketing efforts will help businesses drive sales, increase customer retention, and record  a good return on investment (ROI) for their marketing efforts, to name but a few of the benefits.

In 1996, Bill Gates coined the phrase, “Content is King”, but does this still reign true 25 years later? It undeniably does! The key to an effective digital marketing strategy revolves around content. It is the content that can make or break your marketing efforts if it does not appeal to or engage your intended audience or portray the right marketing message.

Since content is undeniably still king in 2023, how do you ensure that you’re utilising your content to the best of your ability to leverage your digital marketing efforts above the rest? It all starts with a strategic plan.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a type of digital marketing that consists of a strategic marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing relevant, valuable, and consistent content to drive profitable customer action. It is the reason that content is still king in 2023 and the reason it will be for years to come.

Because  content comes in many different forms, marketers will need to do their research to find out the best types of content to post to receive a maximum ROI. Here is  a look at some of the different types of content available to marketers below.

• Blog posts
• Social media
• Infographics
• Videos
• eBooks
• Case studies
• Checklists
• Testimonials and reviews
• Influencer marketing
• Guides and how-tos
• Memes
• Podcasts

It’s important to note that though there are many different types of content that can be utilised in your content marketing approach, it doesn’t mean you should use them all. When it comes to content marketing, quality is key, and it’s much more effective to post fewer high-quality content pieces than it is to try and produce them all, especially if you do not have the capacity for it.

With an overpopulated sea of content thrust upon users every time they go online, the content you create and distribute as part of your marketing efforts needs to stand out and provide value to your potential customers so that they will not only notice your brand but engage with it too. This is one of the main challenges content marketers face today as customers are becoming increasingly more difficult to reach and keep their interest peaked. But with the right content, at the right time, marketers can keep their customers engaged and interested in what they have to offer and keep them coming back for more.

Your content marketing efforts depend entirely on your content marketing strategy, as the strategy will be the roadmap that is used for all your marketing efforts in order to ensure that both your marketing and business goals are aligned. The content marketing strategy is the solid foundation that will influence how you create, publish, and optimise your content to ensure that you execute a well-laid-out content strategy that elaborates on your business goals and how you will achieve them.

Why a content marketing strategy is so important

Without a solid content strategy, marketers will be at risk of producing content that they think their audience wants to see rather than actually providing valuable content that inspires their customers to take a profitable action. This is one of the most important reasons why having a detailed content strategy is a must for both marketers and business owners before they start creating content for their brand.

You may want to see an increase in social media followers and likes but at the end of the day, do these goals really have any bearing on your business? Most of the time, they do not, and it is a trap that many fall into. Having a content strategy will ensure that, from the beginning, you set goals for your brand that positively impact the business and not just goals that look good.

An effective content strategy will help brands to understand their target audience and give them insight into who they are, what they value, and what types of content they consume. This will enable them to create content that drives sales, and brand recognition, and increase their conversions as each piece of content is consistent and effective in its messaging. Before deciding on what type of content and on which platforms you’ll be posting it, it’s important to make sure you understand your audience in order to leverage your marketing efforts to receive a good ROI effectively.

The benefits of having a content marketing strategy

There are many benefits to having a content marketing strategy in place before you start creating content. Below are just some of the benefits that sticking to a content strategy can have.

• Helps you stay on track and meet your
• Helps you understand your target audience and create content that will benefit the business’
• Increased website traffic due to quality content having a positive impact on SEO and site
• Increased brand awareness and brand
• Increased
• Clear vision.
• Consistent messaging.
• Saves time.
• You can plan your content months in advance, which helps you stay consistent and less stressed.

These benefits all add up to give your marketing efforts a more concise and effective marketing message that will resonate with your target audience and encourage them to take profitable action. After all, that is what marketing is all about.

Implementing an effective content strategy

In order to ensure that you’re creating an effective content marketing strategy, there are a number of helpful tricks to keep you on the right track. If you follow the pointers below, your marketing efforts will be aligned with your business goals and provide you with valuable insights about your customers that you can then use to create content that resonates with them to reach both your marketing and business goals.

• Define your target audience and create buyer personas for each demographic.
• Research your competitors to find out what they are doing right and wrong.
• Define your brand’s unique selling point.
• Find out where your audience is and go to them.
• Focus on creating quality content that is informative and engaging to attract and retain customers.
• Use data to track your marketing results and adjust your strategy if needed to help measure success and fine-tune your marketing strategy to get the most out of it.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the right marketing mix for your brand.

The world of marketing is ever-changing, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Give yourself the tools you need to succeed by enrolling in a marketing online short course such as those offered by the University of Cape Town to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices that will help ensure your marketing efforts are successful.

Final words

Marketing is impossible without great content, and when utilising digital marketing channels, it all revolves around content. This is why today, tomorrow, and for the foreseeable future, content will remain king.