When you want to increase your online presence, you might think about doing it by yourself.
But the truth is that it takes an in-depth campaign to get desirable results.
This is where a content agency can step in and make things move forward. Together you can plan all the details in regards to how you want to be perceived and what you would like your potential customers to do.
This will lead to a good content production system that will further develop and optimize with time. Put shortly, the most common goal of one such campaign is to bring awareness that will ultimately turn into leads and sales.
There are lots of channels through which one can address an audience.
Content can be represented by:
- images,
- articles,
- and videos.
These can be posted on all sorts of diverse platforms.
For example, one could post videos on its own website but also run them on YouTube as regular videos or as add campaigns.
They type of end result you desire will determine how the creative process will be approached. You can usually find out what the purpose is just by asking yourself, “what action do I want my audience to take after seeing my videos?”.
This way, you will also be able to measure more easily if the impressions made were efficient or not.
Type of content
There also is another great way to divide content as such:
- Cornerstone content – this could be seen as the number one single topic you would like to put up front. That does not mean you have to always stick to this kind. It just means that this is the thing you want to instantly click with someone who sees your brand logo.
- Gated content – this type is created with the purpose of exchanging valuable information. For example, you want them to know where and how they can contact you.
- Evolving content – is a constant flux of productions that can even take the shape of a series; for example, blog posts, reviews, product releases, DIYs, and so on. You might be surprised by how involved some viewers will get with this kind of approach. Always embrace the different reasons why people are visiting your websites or profiles.
Depending on how you would like to be seen as a brand, the amount of each content type you produce is up to you.
If you have a very strong desire for a certain look, then the direction is already established to you.
If not, you can sit down with your people from the content agency and analyze what could be the most profitable path.
These kinds of answers differ from industry to industry, but in general, you will most likely need to touch all three of them at the very least.
Do not take a phase of the business as utmost definitive. Things can change organically, and you have to accept it and rapidly adapt.
Creating Audiences
Put shortly, the purpose of content is to bring people over to your website and persuade them into buying something.
Although it can be massively shared, productions usually need to appeal to the needs of an individual.
That is how a connection is made.
It might even create a bond that will result in a long-lasting client.
In your general audience will be lots of different kinds of persons. That is why you have to efficiently target the most suited ones for the product or service you are trying to pitch.
Divide content in categories
A great way of further distinguishing content is the following:
- Emotional and entertaining – the name says it all. Remember that great commercial you saw when you were a kid, and you just had to buy that pair of sneakers? Well, this is it. They made you feel like you were better if you had them, like you belonged in a category of people. These types of productions will be full of descriptive images and sounds in order to achieve the required emotional state.
- Educational and intellectual content – is when you are trying to educate your audience. Show them correct statistics and data interpretations. Teach them why a thing works as it does and why it should do just so. You can also add personal opinions but be prepared to back it up with soundproof evidence. Arguably, the main difference here is the fact that you have to present matters as objectively as possible.
- Informative and attentional – is the kind where it should never be interpreted. It needs to be stated as it is and as clearly as possible. Take, for example, content that is based on economic investments. You have to present the situation with the absolute exact numbers occurring in the said case so that the viewers can extract exact information out of it. The exactness of this type should be what gains the attention of a category of people.
What happens next
When all of the above is understood, you and your team from the content agency will go to the writing-table.
Do not worry!
You will not be required to do the writing, but you will most probably want to pitch in your ideas and views on certain matters.
You will choose together how detailed you want everything to be.
Or sometimes how simple you want it to be, depending on the situation at hand. Usually, the blueprint can always be rewritten until everybody is satisfied with the final direction of the content.
Things will move forward to the actual production. For example, if you decided upon a video commercial, the professionals will have to start filming, and in the end, edit and add effects if needed.
These types of technical skills will always be required to run a sound campaign.
Now, when you have a better grasp of what goes behind the creative process, you will understand why this cannot be done by a single person.
When the campaign is all put in place and running, you will be able to see how well it accomplishes its objectives in real-time.
After it has ended, you will have lots of new insights about your business, audience, and general image.
Last, but not least, you will benefit from conversions into sales.
