The following is an adapted transcript of the preceding podcast and video links – How Can I Improve my Content Strategy?

If you’re not up to speed, then you need to know that Content Marketing is THE marketing of modern times.

In my experience, it is the single most powerful way currently to build a remarkable brand; a global brand, a brand that is loved and a brand with staying power.

All brands must use content marketing for growth in their niche. If you’ve been wondering ‘How Can I Improve my Content Strategy?’, here are my 3 tips to help you.

I’m looking forward to what the internet and social media are going to look like five years from now. I think some exciting changes will arrive. It will be commonplace to see monetised content. I can see this happening as more brands view themselves as media companies.

It’s already happening here on YouTube – to get a premium experience, you need to pay. In the future, many viewers who use YouTube as their primary source of video content may find value in paying for it. Let’s wait and see.

On the flip side brands, particularly flagship brands here in Britain and most recently, you have Debenhams, BHS, Mothercare, and I even see it with ASOS, are closing down or losing out on massive profits.

Established brands like these are relying on old advertising methods, their past glory and are missing out on telling important brand stories to their audience on social media.

When I go out on the train, everyone is face down in their phones. I go to the restaurants, people order, their meal arrives, and they get out their phone. Why? Because they won’t eat until they’ve taken a photograph of their beautifully presented meal on their plate. And a selfie of their dinner companions to share with their Instagram followers.

So, love or hate social media, people, your potential customers are spending a lot of their time on it consuming masses amounts of content. They are on their phones all of the time. They are reading books on their phones. They are planning their days, playing games, watching movies, documenting their life every day, all day.

People who consume content are not doing it to buy from brands. Mostly they are doing to be entertained, to be educated, to be inspired, and if you are on the sidelines just observing. You are not getting it right. You’ve got to go where your customers are. Understand how they are living their lives and where they are spending their time. Please don’t wait for them to come to you. Deliver them content, where they are.

Brands must evaluate their customers, current needs, wants, lifestyle and content habits. Don’t get stuck on employing information from the great, old marketing books from the ’80s.  And this is where smaller emerging brands who focus on content marketing have leverage,

Content Marketing works because it’s about delivering timely and valuable content to your target audience; going where they are, giving them what they want and building trust and loyalty. And social media opens up masses of opportunities to do just this.

So when you improve your content marketing and deliver what your customers stare at their phone all day looking for, you will build commitment to your brand. And what must you do with that commitment, you monetise it. You sell goods and services to audiences – people highly engaged with the valuable content you deliver, who know and value your brand. You provide relevant products and services to fans who already willing to buy from you. And content marketing helps you achieve that.

So if you’re asking how can I improve my content marketing, here are my 3 Tips.

Have one message. I’ve spoken about this in a previous video, but your brand should have one word or phrase that you focus on reinforcing through your content, allowing your brand to be memorable.

Remember Coca-Cola’s give the world a coke campaign?

How about Tesco? I remember Tesco using the word chicken to become memorable. That’s mainly all they would say in their advertisement, “Chicken.” Soon customers associated buying good chicken with Tesco. And what happens if you go to Tesco to buy chicken? You’ll end up doing your entire weeks of shopping there.

How about black and Decker and drills. How about Apple and the slogan ‘Think Different’ with the early MAC promotions. Didn’t take long before MACs were associated with creative thinking.

Decide on one word or phrase to be associated with your brand. Become an iconic brand by building all your content around those words or phrases.

Always, always, always provide value. I’m thinking of creating a video on how to make valuable content. If you would like me to do that, leave a comment down below. But, I want you to remember to provide value on every video.

Emphasise the change that your audience will get in their lives after consuming your content. You want your audience returning to your brand pages, so do not hold back on providing as much value as possible. Create is and then distribute it everywhere because that will make you stand out from your competitors.

Many content creators feel they have to hold back from sharing information, but if you don’t provide it, guaranteed what you’re not telling your audience, they’ll find from another brand. If they find information that you could have provided elsewhere, they are less likely to come back to you, and you lose out on building trust. So go heavy on the value.

Make your content about the customers. You and your brand may be creating and featuring in your content, but unless the content is about the customer, you won’t make that deep connection with audiences necessary to convert fans to customers.

If you want customers to feel emotionally attached to the content, you must make it about them. People are naturally interested in themselves. When they search for content, it’s for themselves. Your content becomes influential when you can connect to your audience in a profound way.

People enjoy interacting with brands that they feel comfortable and at ease with. You can help achieve this feeling when you make your audience feel important through your content. So please talk about your audiences situations, their challenges and engage with them. Draw them in. Let them know how important you consider them. Remind them whats in it for them when they consume your content.

Make your content about the customers. You and your brand may be creating and featuring in your content, but unless the content is about the customer, you won’t make that deep connection with audiences necessary to convert fans to customers.

If you want customers to feel emotionally attached to the content, you must make it about them. People are naturally interested in themselves. When they search for content, it’s for themselves. Your content becomes influential when you can connect to your audience in a profound way.

People enjoy interacting with brands that they feel comfortable and at ease with. You can help achieve this feeling when you make your audience feel important through your content. So please talk about your audiences situations, their challenges and engage with them. Draw them in. Let them know how important you consider them. Remind them whats in it for them when they consume your content.