Content marketing is the big marketing trend of 2013. Countless brands and businesses are rushing into content marketing programs. This makes it even more important to differentiate your brand’s content in order to reach customers and prospects.
Use these four tips to stand out in the minds of your audiences:
1 Offer a new point of view
There will always be hot-button issues around which many industry leaders produce content. Differentiate your content by presenting information in a new context. For example, what are the bigger-picture stories around current industry trends? What new developments will change business as usual? Explore these different points of view to keep your content fresh.
2 Consider format
Experiment with different content formats to find out which resonate best with your audiences. Incorporate visuals, videos, blog posts, white papers, social media and more into your content mix. Don't be afraid to break away from the pack and experiment with new formats. If your competitors rely solely on blog posts, try using more video, for example.
3 Be original
Develop your own signature tone, style and content mix to stand out from other content producers in your space. Knowing and highlighting the unique strengths that your business brings to the conversation is just as important as identifying what the competition lacks.
4 Change the conversation
The marketplace is saturated with many brands producing similar content around the same topics. Instead of fighting for a small share of brand voice in overcrowded conversations, invest in discovering new topics that aren’t yet popular. Once you understand what they are, and why people aren’t talking about them yet, you can develop content to lead the conversation.
The key to creating content that stands out in the marketplace is thinking differently from the competition. Always stay tuned to the competitive landscape: what your competitors are saying, how they’re saying it and when they’re saying it. By identifying gaps and weaknesses in their content, you can bring unique value to the marketplace. This time and effort will pay off as you develop a distinct and recognized voice in your industry.
Source: VOCUS
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