Marketing changes fast. The tools you used a few years ago may look nothing like the ones you use today. But some content marketing practices hold up year after year. Here are the ones worth doubling down on.
Write for people first
The most important rule has not changed: create content that genuinely helps the people you want to reach. Google says its ranking systems are designed to favor helpful, reliable information created for people, not content made mainly to game search rankings. The same is true for the AI answer tools more and more people use to find information. They pull from clear, useful, trustworthy content.
So focus on answering real questions your customers ask. What does this cost to do right? How long does it take? Which option is best for my situation? If your content helps someone make a better decision, you are on the right track.
But do not ignore SEO completely
Writing for people does not mean search does not matter. It means using SEO to support good content, not replace it.
- Use the words your customers use. Put them in your page titles, headings and opening lines.
- Keep your contact information correct and consistent everywhere it appears, from your website to your business listings.
- Update older content so it stays accurate and useful.
- Skip keyword stuffing. Repeating the same phrase over and over makes content worse for readers and does not help.
Go beyond the blog
Blogs are a great tool, but they are not the only one. Content can take many forms:
- Email newsletters
- How-to guides and checklists
- Short videos
- Infographics and charts
- Case studies and before-and-after photos
- Printed pieces like brochures, newsletters, catalogs and mailers
The best approach is to take one good idea and share it in several formats. A helpful blog post can become a printed tip sheet, a social media series and a section of your newsletter.
Know your customer, and check in often
Many businesses create a simple profile of their ideal customer, sometimes called a customer persona: who they are, what they need, and what worries them. It guides what you write and how you say it.
The step people forget is updating it. Your business changes, and so do your customers. Take time each year to look at who is actually buying from you and what they are asking about, then adjust your content to match.
Connect print and online content
Print and digital work best together. A postcard can point people to a helpful page on your website with a short web address or a QR code. A brochure can send readers to a how-to video. And your website can let people request printed materials or samples.
Printed pieces have staying power. People keep them on desks and refrigerators, and they offer a break from crowded inboxes and screens. Pair them with online content and you reach customers in more than one place.
Keep what works
Try new ideas, but do not throw out the basics. Helpful content, consistent information, a clear understanding of your customer and a smart mix of print and online channels are as useful now as they have ever been.
How AC Graphix can help
Our in-house designers can help turn your best ideas into brochures, newsletters, mailers and more that work hand in hand with your website. See our design services, or browse our work for ideas.
