Your company’s public image is an important one to maintain. But when people think about public image, consumers and business leaders alike might have a short-sighted view: it’s not just ribbon-cutting ceremonies or how you come back from a public relations nightmare; it’s much more. Your public image, and — in essence — your brand, are a result of forward-thinking thought leadership and content marketing.

So then how do companies win consumer interest and support? Be personal, be prepared, be present. If you have said any of the below statements or feel they are aligned with your company’s practices, it may be time to seek out marketing experts to propel your company toward greater customer loyalty and patronage. 

Our Subject Matter Experts Are Our Best Kept Secret

This statement might sound like a plus: you work with the best in the business and you’re humble about their fantastic skill sets and intellect. This seems great, but your base deserves to know about these important figures and their noteworthy talents and accomplishments. Shout it from the rooftops! Have a “Meet the Staff” section on your website with headshots of leadership and bios with keywords targeted to what your audience searches for. This not only beefs up your website’s word count (and your SEO/likelihood of popping up at the top of searches) but also humanizes your company: audiences want to know how the sausage gets made, and who’s making it. 

We Do Not Create Enough Content in the Market

Creating content is vital, but there’s no point in working to make it if it is not serving your company, delighting your customers, and pumping up your brand and image. Content for the sake of content is dull; like every effort, content creation starts with research. Look into a few important elements before you spend time and money creating content to decide which kind will best entice customers:

1. See what competitors are creating: Knowing what your competitors are up to is helpful in the broad sense; understanding their content and engagement is better in the specific. Get a feel of how their audience engages with their content, what they respond to, and how it can inform what you post and publish in the future. 
2. Research what performs: Each company will have a unique online followership, and each followership will expect different kinds of content. The age, gender, cultural and commercial tastes, and demographics of your base will inform what kind of content they most enjoy. Understand those preferences, do keyword analysis, and build content suited to what they are searching/interested in.
3. Create diverse pieces of content: Content creation is like a healthy diet; too much of one thing is no good. Content comes in many forms: videos, news articles, photo albums, GIFs, and more. A blog is a great place to start as it creates an ever-flowing fountain and a place on your website where visitors can quickly find your recent thoughts and work. No matter the creative you come up with, diversify the vehicles for your content so your audience doesn’t get bored…and you are speaking their language. (remember your personas!)

Our Customers Don’t Know Where We’re Based

On the importance of humanizing companies, customers should know not only the mission of your business but also where it’s based. Many companies reflect the ethos of the regions they are located in, and customers want to support and shop local. Companies should feel encouraged to get involved in their communities — participate in neighborhood events, attend parades and block parties, and donate to nearby organizations. This will encourage mutual partnership, garner support from neighbors, and communicate a spirit of altruism that will make others more likely to engage with your company.

Looking to unlock your company’s potential? The key lies in thought leadership and content marketing. Download our guide to understand how to best position your company in the public eye while laying the foundation for perennial content that keeps your audience engaged and hungry for more. 

To see how you can create compelling and relevant thought leadership content, download part 6 of ONDEMAND CMO’S 7 STEPS OF MARKETING SERIES, a guide that walks your company through the seven building blocks of successful marketing. Let’s take a specific and forward-thinking journey together, one step at a time. If you are feeling like you need a professional to help you chart out a content marketing strategy, we invite you to reach out at [email protected] .

Download Step 6 Now:

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