27Jan

How To Get Started With Content Marketing

Consumers are looking for businesses that offer them more than just a product, they want a unique experience. As a dealership, you must be able to create engaging, educational content that will keep your current customers and prospects coming back for more. The best part is, that by creating content that your customers want to come back to, your website sees more traffic and will begin to rank better with search engines.

Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “How do I get started with my Content Marketing Strategy?” Listed below are the first four steps to help you!

  1. Research your audience. This may seem like a given, but often times we’re so busy with the day to day operations, that we lose focus of who our audience really is.  Before writing content for your website, blog and/or social platforms, take a moment to go back to the basics and identify who exactly you will be talking to. Then, generate content that appeals to these identified groups. Here are some tips to get you started:
    • Website Analytics– Check out who has been visiting your website and ask yourself: Where are they from? How long do they stay? What content are they looking at?
    • Facebook Insights– Looking into your Facebook Insights can help you determine what type of social followers you have, such as what area they are located in, what type of posts they engage with more, and what time of day most of them are on. Need help understanding Facebook Insights? Check out this blog post.
    • Current Customers- Using your CRM tool, research your current customers to help you understand what your ideal customer is like, such as brand loyalty, type of products bought, age, location, etc.
  2. Develop supporting content. Create buyer-centric, educational content that isn’t relevant to just selling your business’s product and services. Customers are more likely to revisit your site if you can offer them valuable information that assists them in solving their problems. Instead of just listing the product lines you carry or your service department’s hours of operation, consider adding content such as tips for servicing their new piece of equipment to make it last longer. This type of content, if regularly updated, will not only drive traffic to your website but it will also create trust with customers.
  3. Don’t overload content with keywords. Search Engine Optimization is important, as it drives traffic to your website, but overdoing it with keywords can make great content hard to read. The solution for this is to write for your audience first, and then search engines second. The more relevant the content is, the more it draws website visitors into you website, which ultimately puts you on Google’s good side.
    • Keyword focused example: Equipment Pros VA is a heavy equipment dealer in Norfolk, VA that sells and rents used and new heavy equipment such as skid steers, excavators, backhoes, and wheel loaders. We also offer various heavy equipment manufacturer parts, along with an accredited service team capable of servicing Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, and Virginia Beach with any heavy equipment need you may have.
    • Content focused example: Here at Equipment Pros VA, we are proud to put our customers first in all that we do. As a family-owned and operated business, we offer the Norfolk, VA area with new and used construction equipment including skid steers, excavators, wheel loaders and much more. Our experienced service department offers quality service and support for your equipment maintenance needs, whether in our dealership or at your location.
  4. Regularly update your content. Search engines prefer sites that have fresh content, and websites visitors want to know that what they are reading is the most up-to-date and accurate information. As the seasons change, add content about preparing for them, such as Top Winter-Storm Must Have Pieces of Equipment or How to Beat the Heat This Summer. Also, be sure to update promotions or dealership events on a regular basis so there isn’t outdated information out there.

Developing your content marketing strategy takes time and patience. It’s best to think through your strategy instead of using content as a space filler for your website. Test which headlines and pages captured website traffic the best, and try tweaking the others to get better results. A great content strategy is the ticket for higher traffic, more leads and loyal customers.

If you’re ready to take your content marketing strategy to the next level, check out our downloadable Content Marketing Worksheet by clicking on the image below. With this, you can focus on content not only for your website, but also your email campaigns, social media platforms, and blogging. 

Content Marketing Worksheet

 

 

 

 

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COMMENT (1)
Does Social Media Really Benefit My Search Rankings? | Commercial Web Services Blog / March 31, 2015

[…] and should be ranked for specific keywords. This means that developing original content (see our previous blog post!) allows for the opportunity for social sharing across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., which is […]

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