Content Marketing for Distributors
Distributors are in a unique position from a marketing standpoint, and reaching both manufacturing companies and retailers can be challenging. But many Internet marketing channels make it possible to target and attract partners that will help your business succeed.
Content marketing is one of the most effective ways of reaching customers online, and it allows your brand to build trust right from the start. And as a company with information your target audience wants, you’re in a great position to use this approach to your benefit.
How to get started with content marketing for distributors
Every distributor requires a slightly different approach to content marketing depending on their industry, business model, and goals,
but the following six steps can generate results for any business.
1. Start a blog
Blogging is one of the easiest ways to regularly add new content to your site. If your site doesn’t already have one, adding this feature should be the first step in your content marketing strategy. Then, you can increase the volume of content you regularly add to your site. Create a blog calendar and develop topic ideas that relate to your business and industry. What do your potential customers want to know? What would they want to learn about your business? Customer questions and concerns make excellent blog post topics, as well as industry and company news. Then, optimize each of these posts for relevant keywords to maximize your online visibility.
2. Promote your content on social media
Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all extremely useful for promoting your content. If you don’t have accounts on each, you’ll want to consider creating them as soon as possible. Sharing content on your social platforms gives your followers the opportunity to learn about topics they’re interested in, and allows you to drive traffic to your site. Then, you can encourage readers to comment on your posts with their thoughts and questions, which can result in valuable conversations.
3. Reach out to other websites
Many blogs and other online publications are often actively looking for guest contributors, and while it may seem counter-intuitive to give your content away for free, this can be extremely beneficial to your business. Publishing on other sites expands your online reach, which gives you the opportunity to attract new visitors to your site. Plus, links back to your site as the source are extremely valuable for SEO purposes. Look for publications with an audience similar to your target demographic, and reach out to their editors with original post and topic ideas. If you’re able to contribute something beneficial to their readers, you can improve your overall online presence.
4. Create videos
Today, video is one of the most effective and engaging forms of online content. Your videos can be anything from a one-minute video of the inner workings of your distribution company to an interview with one of your partners. Be creative, and don’t forget to add information in the description so viewers know what the video is about. This will also help your videos rank in search results, which is an effective way to increase brand awareness and get potential customers to watch your videos.
5. Promote your content in your email newsletter
Email marketing is one of the best ways to stay in contact with potential customers who’ve already shown interest in your business. However, the only way to gain traction with email marketing is to do it consistently and provide informational material your readers actually want. Create an email marketing calendar to get started and brainstorm topics that will interest your audience. Include tips and information they can use, and include a few calls to action (CTAs) to bring them back to your site. This is valuable for content marketing purposes, because it allows you to let qualified leads know when there’s new content on your site. This ensures that your target audience is aware of your content, and maximizes the value you’ll get out of each addition.
6. Host a webinar
Are you often asked the same questions about your services? Turn those inquiries into the basis for a live webinar event. Webinars are a great way to engage your audience and answer their questions in real time, and get them excited about the prospect of partnering with you. And even if only a few people join your webinar, you can archive it and make it available for on-demand viewing. This will give you extra mileage in the content marketing department.
Content marketing strategies
Content marketing is an essential part of any online marketing strategy that can help your distribution company build authority within your industry and attract qualified leads.
If you’d like to learn more about how your company can start using content marketing, we’d love to help. Contact us today for more information and a free quote!