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4 Key Moments For Maximizing Content Marketing Effectiveness

  • by , Op-Ed Contributor, March 28, 2017

People have very specific needs to satiate when consuming content. Armed to the teeth with back arrows, new-window tabs and the omnipresent mute button, they’ve never been more in control of their overall user experience. As marketers, if you’re not considering the needs and expectations of your audience in the moment, the content is likely dead on arrival. 

Here are the everyday moments you should consult to maximize your content marketing efforts and deliver value to your audience:

Inspiration

Inspiration is about finding ideas - something new that sparks your imagination and gets you excited. Whether that’s hunting for a weeknight recipe, Pinteresting your way to a remodeled bathroom, or looking for a new way to do your hair—you’re browsing page after page looking to find the right content that speaks to you. 

Inspirational content should be just that—inspirational. It should be highly visual, actionable, and helpful. If your audience is in this content moment, they could be looking for a variety of types of content — from image galleries to fully blown out, step-by-step articles — so be sure what you create doesn’t leave them hanging. 

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Education

Similar to inspiration, education is about finding pieces of new knowledge. In this instance, it’s motivated by a desire for self betterment. Education can take the form of a hobby, like learning how to change a carburetor on a muscle car project, or have more economical roots, like learning how to be a day trader. 

The most important characteristic of valuable educational content is that it’s actionable. Your audience is coming to you to learn, which means you have to be a good teacher. That being said, this content moment is often best served by longer form articles or videos that get into the nuts and bolts of a subject. How-to’s are especially effective here because they arm your audience with the confidence to take action. 

Escaping Reality

Sometimes your audience is just looking for a break—a puppy video or reaction gif that helps them feel better. When your audience is looking to take a break they’re seeking a moment of relaxation, and potentially for something to lift their mood. Unlike the previous content purposes, your audience is probably aimlessly scrolling through their social media feed, looking for something easy. 

Focus on content that is topical, positive and light. Primarily suited for awareness purposes, the objective for this content should be to create a positive engagement that’s fully completed. 

Finding an answer

Dust off your SEO chops because your audience is now in research mode. They’re looking for specific answers to specific questions, ranging from product features and reviews to troubleshooting and support.

There are two general reasons why your audience is looking to find an answer: scouting and vetting. Scouting is when an individual begins their search for a solution, a great opportunity for brands to insert themselves early in the customer journey with valuable information. Vetting is where your audience has identified a group of potential solutions and they’re looking for guides, reviews and supporting information to help them come to a decision. 

Content moments should be top of mind whenever you sit down to create a piece of content. Think about your brand voice, your product and what content moments seem best suited to address the needs of your audience. 

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and think about the content you find valuable. Do a few Google searches. Once you have an idea of the content moment that works best, identify the topics that are currently resonating, and get to work!

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