Content marketing gives potential customers something they value – for example, a blog or article answers a question – in return for tacit permission to market a product or service. It is a long-term strategic marketing approach, designed to develop a relationship that feels natural and organic with customers.
Businesses are increasingly turning to content marketing to attract today’s more informed, more discerning and more digitally savvy consumers. And, given that digital magazines are an ideal platform for some of the most popular and effective forms of content marketing, such as blogs and articles, it’s an ideal revenue source for digital publishers to leverage.
Why digital magazines are perfect for content marketing.
Rather than just selling ad banners (which readers may not see due to ad blocking tech or may simply ignore), publishers are uniquely positioned to provide paid content marketing opportunities. As a magazine publisher, content is what you do! You have built a loyal and relevant audience, and you know how to craft content that your readers love. You probably already have a good grasp of SEO and know how to make your pages rank well on search engines (and if you need some help, why not check out our SEO guide here). And, by publishing quality content, you are growing and cementing the authority of your magazine. Businesses dream of the traffic and SEO that magazines are able to build. This all makes a very enticing package for your potential advertisers.
What types of content marketing can you offer potential customers.
There are many different kinds of content marketing, but blogs, articles, videos and social media are among the most popular and most effective. By commissioning high quality content on your digital publication, businesses increase their brand awareness and benefit from referral traffic back to their own websites. When selecting the type of content you will be producing for clients to publish on your site, remember that identifying the target audience is key, because the content should be tailored to what your potential customers want or need, providing a response to their questions or addressing pain points. If you’re just starting out with content marketing, there are lots of resources available, including these useful introductions from Moz and Copyblogger.
Blogs and articles
Blogs and articles are the most obvious ways for you to leverage your publishing expertise when helping external businesses with content marketing. For example, if you run a digital magazine dedicated to a particular region, and a local fashion store is looking to grow brand awareness and attract more customers, you could suggest an article on fall/winter fashion trends that could include mention of particular brands or styles on offer at the fashion store. This provides the informative content that readers value, thereby strengthening the brand, and the store will additionally benefit from access to a broader pool of potential customers.
Videos
Videos are increasingly searched for by consumers and are a powerful tool for SEO. There are numerous ways that you can include videos as part of your content marketing efforts on behalf of external clients. For example, if you run a food magazine, a local restaurant might be interested in a guest blog on your site in which their head chef provides the recipe for the restaurant’s most popular dish. By including a ‘how to’ video that complements the text, you’ll be sure to attract more organic traffic to the page.
Social media
You can amplify the readership for the content that you publish on behalf of external clients by complementing it with a targeted social media strategy, ideally in conjunction with your clients’ own social media channels so that you can tap into a broader pool of potential readers. As a seasoned digital publisher, you have the skills to write eye-catching copy that can potentially bring new views to your pages. Social media is also an excellent way to establish a unique, authoritative brand voice that resonates with consumers.
More
Metro Publisher includes a number of features that compliment content marketing strategies for digital publishers:
