Andy Cullwick is head of marketing at First4Lawyers
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, empathy can be the thing that sets you apart. Speak to your audience in a way that shows you understand what they want or may be going through
Content marketing may sound like a modern concept, but its origins date back hundreds of years.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the USA, is credited as being one of its earliest instigators when he published Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1732 as a way of promoting his own printing press.
Similarly, John Deere—a leading manufacturer of farming machinery—had it in mind in 1895 when it launched The Furrow magazine full of advice for farmers, which is still going strong today.
Over time, it has of course evolved with the emergence of different mediums and platforms, and tools such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and data analytics providing people with alternative means of reaching and reading their audience.
But while it may not have been given its name until more recently, content marketing remains as important as ever, with a recent study by HubSpot revealing that 82% of companies use it as part of their marketing strategy.
Here are my top tips for creating content to boost your business.
Know your audience
Content marketing can place you as a thought leader in your field—as long as you’re speaking to the right people. Think about who your potential customer is, what information they might be looking for and which platforms they are likely to use to find it.
Research what content on each particular platform looks like. From long-form LinkedIn to short-form Twitter to image-driven Instagram, one size doesn’t fit all.
Ensure it is easily accessible (the one thing we can all agree on is the frustration caused by constant pop-ups and ads) and mobile-friendly, as more than half the content consumed is via our phone