Content Marketing vs The Power of Paid
Image by: Jackie Averill
Whether you’re a firm believer in the phrase, content is king or bow down to the power of the almighty dollar, the proof is in the pudding. By now, most businesses have realized that it’s a pay to play world when it comes to reaching consumers online and relying solely on organic reach is no longer a viable option. However, without having a substantial content marketing strategy, social media presence and an optimized website, are you wasting all that money on paid search? Wasted no, but could you be getting more bang for your buck and higher return rates on your spend? Yes. Paid tactics alone may get you noticed and you may see an increase in the click-throughs to your website, but if you’re seeing hi bounce rates and few conversions, it’s time to start digging deeper. Money may drive traffic, but the quality of content is what keeps consumers engaged on your page and inspires them to learn more. So not only is content a key factor to enhance your paid spend, but the quality of the content is the driving component of success.
Often times an intern or office admin is in charge of writing the blog as well as managing the social media accounts and ad spend online. Why is this a problem? Unless that person is an expert in your industry and can write for SEO, quality content, it is not. When it comes to ad spend, Google and Facebook have created user friendly platforms so companies can create and manage their own ads, but that doesn’t mean those ads are successful or being executed to perform at their best. Using incorrect keywords, targeting the wrong markets, to many markets or setting it and forgetting it is a sure fire way to fail. If you’re a company who has an ad strategy in place and are continuously throwing money into an ad campaign that is not performing, it may be time to look to the pros. A bigger spend does not always equal a higher return. So while the days of relying solely on organic reach have come to an end, the power of paid can only go so far if you’re not set up for success. If you want to compete in today’s digital space, the right mix of both components is the answer to dominating the marketplace and earning the trust and loyalty of your audience.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Paid Campaigns
· Hire a pro to set up, manage and monitor your SEM, Technical SEO and Social Media Campaigns. Getting the right mix of keywords, targeted demographics and locations working well and yielding high returns is a full time job for an expert.
· Make sure your website is mobile first, SEO optimized and has a blog. Your site should also be clean, concise and professional. Any information a consumer is looking for should be no more than 3 clicks away. Getting people to your page is one thing, keeping them there and engaging with your site is an entirely different strategy.
· Having fresh articles, images and videos on your blog that are relevant to your industry, offer insights to your product or services and are full of purposeful content that will engage and inspire your audience is of the utmost importance. Not only does it build trust and brand awareness, google recognizes quality content which will give you an organic boost which in turn enhances your paid spend.
· Don’t waste all that great content that you’re paying for people to see. Take the next step and submit your content for features on industry sites, blogs and other forms of online publications. Show the world that you’re a thought leader and expert in your field. Also make sure you’ve got great reviews on platforms like yelp and thumbtack, especially if you are a local business. If you’ve got a product, make sure you have a presence on Pinterest. These types of platforms are dominating search and are often where consumers will land first, so make sure you’re there.
