What is Content Marketing? There is no question that we are dead smack in the middle of a paradigm shift from traditional marketing methods to Inbound Marketing (or Content Marketing).

Now is the time to jump onboard and focus on EDUCATING current and future customers using the digital platform. Whether you are a manufacturer, a rep, or a dealer, the most successful content marketing strategies have FOUR KEY COMPONENTS:

CONTENT

Content creation with clear calls-to-action is the core of any content marketing campaign. It is the educational (and hopefully fun and interesting) piece that attracts current repeat customers as well as net new potential customers to your website.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Search engine optimization (SEO) makes it easier for potential customers to find your content when they search (or speak) for keywords on Google. Using SEO best practices will maximize your ranking in search engines and attract buyers no matter where they are in their buying process.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media amplifies the impact of your content. When your content is distributed across and discussed on networks of personal relationships, it becomes more authentic and nuanced, and is more likely to draw qualified customers to your site.

ANALYTICS

No matter how creative, witty and engaging your content marketing may be, it means nothing unless you have the appropriate analytics and reporting proving the return on investment (or business impact).

Senior leadership may not be interested in how many Facebook 'comments' or 'Likes' you have. However, your sales VP is interested in how many qualified leads marketing has generated and if the content strategy is moving them through the marketing funnel.

At TMC, we recommend using a comprehensive marketing automation tool like HubSpot to drive your content marketing campaigns.

Is your Foodservice business ready to take your content marketing strategy to the next level? Learn more in our Inbound Marketing Cookbook.