Digital advertising has become essential for businesses to promote their products or services. All thanks to the rising Internet penetration rates and the growing popularity of online channels in the United States!
Statista reports that American businesses spent around $153 billion in digital advertising in 2022. That’s 60.39% of the total ad spending in the country.
As the virtual space expands, digital ad spending in America is expected to surpass $300 billion by 2025. If the forecast is correct, digital ad spending in the country will make up 77.5% of its total ad spending.
However, not all digital ads are effective.
Ads can be annoying. Experts say that the average online user sees 4,000 to 10,000 every day. Some of these ads are either irrelevant, intrusive, or contain viruses. Hence, it’s no surprise that many online users have started to fight back. In particular, 47% of consumers are blocking ads.
Here are some of the most annoying types of digital ads according to American online users:
- Audio ads
- Video ads that play automatically on websites
- Banner ads for products purchased or browsed but not purchased
- Targeted ads or ads that show up based on consumers’ online searches, interests, and behaviors
Make ads personal
Humans value privacy. They don’t want their actions and whereabouts monitored. Some ads can feel like an invasion of privacy.
Target ads are a good example. Typing a pair of boots one minute and seeing ads on boots from different brands the next minute can feel creepy for some consumers.
The solution? Make your ads personal. Try giving consumers an option to subscribe to your newsletter. You can also display your ads after they’ve watched a few videos on your site.
Content marketing is the key
Competition in the business world is tough. Standing out from the rest is possible through a clear value proposition.
Consumers want to get their money’s worth, so give them that. You can convey how your products or services improve their day-to-day living through creating and sharing informative and timely articles, videos, podcasts, and other forms of media.
If you’re into offering courses on e-commerce start-ups, your target audience would likely read a blog post about finding suitable suppliers. It’s relevant since most new online businesses face low budgets, and they’re vulnerable to scams.
A 2021 report by marketing specialists reveals that 80% of marketers consider content creation as their top priority. You should try it too! Here are some benefits of creating consistent, high-quality, engaging content:
- Your target market will stick around longer.
- Your target will trust you more.
- You’ll generate more and better leads and conversions.
- You’ll gain better traction on social media.
- You’ll get more visibility.
- You’ll be seen as an authority in your industry.
Content promotion is a must
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You don’t stop with high-quality content. The next crucial step is ensuring it gets noticed by as many people as possible. Otherwise, your content might end up as waste. Money gone, effort squandered, and time misused.
Content promotion refers to distributing your blog posts, podcasts, and other forms of media via proper organic and paid channels. It’s vital for the success of your content marketing strategy as it helps drive traffic, expand target market reach, and improve conversion rates.
If you want your content to attract attention, you can run a Google Ads campaign. As per Business Insider, Google Ads remains the only paid channel with the most direct advertising relationships in the digital advertising space.
Plan, plan, and plan
Creating a winning content promotion is all about planning. It would be best to build a blueprint of what you expect to achieve before implementing your content marketing strategy. Not sure where and how to start? These seven steps can guide you in hatching a winning content promotion plan:
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Document goals
Every plan needs a goal, and planning for your content promotion is no exception.
For one, your goals serve as your compass. Imagine being in an unknown place. Without a compass, you’d be directionless. It’d be easy for you to get lost at any time.
The same applies to goal setting in content marketing. The lack of SMART goals is a common reason businesses’ content marketing strategies fail. Without goals, you’d lose focus. You’d be clueless as to what actions to take next. In the end, you might find your efforts disjointed.
Moreover, your goals function as a measurement of your progress. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it consists of steps, often small ones. Knowing that you’ve made movements in the right direction can get your motivation and energy up.
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Define audience types
There are three audience types you need to consider when creating a winning content plan.
First on the list are the content collaborators or the individuals you want to partner with in your content. Social media has become an integral part of life. As of writing, active social media users in America have reached 270.01 million. The rising popularity of social media has encouraged brands to collaborate with influencers.
Consumers perceive influencers as more effective than traditional celebrities due to being authentic and knowledgeable in their respective niches. A study by the Influencer Orchestration Network shows that almost half of its respondents rely on influencers for product recommendations. In addition, about 40% of them purchased something online based on their favorite influencers’ recommendations.
Next on the list are the promoters or the people you want to tap in to share the link of your content. They can be journalists, bloggers, and business owners like yourself.
Last but equally important on the list are the amplifiers or your target audience. As advised, you need to get to as many readers, viewers, and listeners as possible. Even so, you have to prioritize your target audience. Your content will have no value if they reach uninterested people.
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Conduct research
After defining your audience types, your next step is identifying what messaging will resonate with your chosen audiences. The best way to do that is to do some research.
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First-hand data are reliable sources of information. You can get them through surveys and interviews. After collecting data, gather your team and brainstorm about the content you want. Mull over the following in your discussions:
- Topics and types of content your audiences want
- The linking and sharing behaviors of your audiences
- The value you can offer to your audiences that would motivate them to link or share your content
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Choose communication channels
The more, the merrier! Opting for multi-communication channels in your content promotion plan increases the likelihood that your content reaches your intended consumers.
Paid ads, like Google Ads, can be beneficial since you can target who clicks your link. Plus, you only have to pay when someone gets redirected to your post.
Apart from paid ads, you may also want to consider free ads. You can optimize your website’s blog or collaborate with a noncompetitor for a guest post. Social media and email broadcasts are the other best places to promote your content.
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List building
Photo by @storyset from Freepik
The importance of list building in content promotion can’t be understated. Growing your mailing list is crucial for your content promotion plan because it allows you to establish a personal and more profound relationship with potential partners and customers.
Remember to calculate your target list size before you start building your lists. Of course, your list should refer back to your goals and audience segmentation. Also, be consistent with your communication and intention. Interacting with the persons on your list only once can leave an impression that you’re not interested in them.
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Keep partners engaged
You should include major stakeholders in the planning stage of your content promotion. One way to do so is to pretest your content. Give your chosen collaborators and promoters a preview of your content and ask to get their insights.
Getting feedback from people with relevant experience in content marketing can help improve your content. Besides making your content better, you’ll also generate a sense of investment from your partners, motivating them to share your content as soon as it goes live.
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Amplify buzz
Before launching your content, plan ways to get your target audience excited about it. How? Make noise online! You can post a snippet of your video or podcast but avoid divulging too much information.
In other words, include teaser campaigns in your content promotion planning. They’re effective in drawing intrigue and increasing anticipation. After all, humans are curious animals.
Don’t miss the benefits of content marketing
The main ingredient of successful content marketing is proper planning. Plan the content you want to create, the collaborators and promoters you want to partner with, the consumers you want to attract, and the digital platforms where you want to promote your content. Once you’ve finalized these elements, you can reap the benefits of content marketing.
