A Content Strategy For Your Brand

Every month for over seven (7) years now.

That’s how long I’ve been writing blogs for an ad agency in Phoenix … ReThinc Advertising and Public Relations.

I can remember my digital manager explaining to me the value of content. How my commentary on all things marketing would benefit the company’s organic search positioning. I wasn’t given a great deal of direction … just write and “do your best to make it relevant to what we do.”

OK … cool. I was a journalism major. I can do that.

Beyond a guest blog or two from an intern and an occasional masterpiece from my better half, I’ve had to come up with over eighty-some odd topics that compel a person to take the time to read what I wrote while also satisfying the amorphic search parameters that Google uses to control the universe.

Admittedly, I was more concerned about keeping the reader informed and entertained than I was enhancing our search position. This is readily evident when you visit the archives to read such riveting titles as Raisin’ Brand, Can I Yelp You, and of course, Up to Bot.

But it worked, and here’s where you really need to pay attention, as everyone wants to enhance their organic search position.

Optimize Your Content for Search, Keep it Engaging and Create Means to Distribute Your Content to Your Target Audience

Regularly infusing your website with relevant content that is properly optimized for search is one way in which you can improve your organic search rankings. Writing a blog about specific aspects of your business that a consumer may be seeking is one way of achieving that goal.

To me, writing for the sake of enhancing your search position is great, but it should be written in a way that perpetuates your brand’s voice while also engaging your target customer. In simple terms, if you’re an ad agency, write like an agency, or better stated, write with marketing expertise. This will engage your audience, compel them to read your content, and perhaps even share it. (hint, hint)

You can do your own sharing when you engage in off page SEO. Essentially, this means executing a robust email marketing campaign, posting your content on social media, and most advantageously, having another company share your content on their site with a backlink.

All these wins start with engaging, informative content.

How To Improve Your Content Strategy

A typical obstacle for many businesses is having someone who is willing and able to commit to writing content on a regular basis. This person must possess some level of expertise and the ability to articulate their thoughts in writing.

Simply put, not everyone is a journalism major.

A relatively new development has been the use of video content transcribed for purposes of search enhancement. Some people are more comfortable speaking to a camera than interacting with a keyboard. This works too, but I personally recommend that you utilize a professional videographer as nothing looks more unprofessional than a self-made propped up cell phone video. I’ll acknowledge a few exceptions and please, I’m not confusing the issue with good social content that you can shoot with your phone. I’m just saying that good video content should have some level of professionalism. If it doesn’t you can be compromising your brand instead of enhancing it.

Good content then becomes an opportunity for ad agencies like us. That opportunity, however, takes a significant amount of preparation to be done correctly. We don’t want to speak for a brand that we don’t know inside and out. To some degree, we must also become experts in your field. The ability to be accurate and genuine varies on the complexity of your business. Selling couches is much easier than writing about infertility issues or rehabilitation for addiction.

Lastly and probably most importantly, in order for your content to really be maximized, it must also be housed on unique pages on your website. So, if you have an aspect of your business that is readily searchable by your potential customers, it is a best practice to have a page on your site that has imagery and content specific to said services. The best example I can give you is a hunting analogy. If your company sells clothes specific to bowhunting in the desert, then a page with optimized content dedicated to that product is optimal. A blog on the subject is also beneficial.

Brands fall short when they “check the box” on content. This leads to content that is brief, unengaging, and not optimized for search. A page on your website that is not optimized nor supported with fresh blog content is more common than you might realize.

ReThinc Advertising Fills the Void for Brand Content Creation

So, what can a full-service ad agency like ReThinc Advertising and Public Relations do to help you get your content game in order?

First, we’ll have a detailed conversation regarding your business, your industry, and more specifically, your primary competitors. We’ll need to identify the brand attributes that compel your clients to engage with you while also understanding why you are better than your competitors.

We’ll then analyze your website to ensure it’s properly structured, optimized for search, and provides a solid user experience. We’ll also make sure there’s an appropriate place to post your blog content.

Next, we’ll look at your content strategy. What are you doing to communicate your message to both current and potential customers? Email is one component of that but so is social media. Public relations plays a role as well. In fact, PR can get us some of the important backlinks we talked about in paragraph ten.

Lastly, we’ll tie it all together to align with your marketing messaging. This will give your brand the cadence it needs to be its best. All it took was some guy with a journalism degree and a super smart digital manager.

Want to learn more about the value of great content and its role in making our brand successful? Send me an email at ed.olsen@rethincadvertising.com or give me a call at 602-284-6722.