Push the Borders of Your Content Marketing

Chances are, you have a friend who is seemingly well-versed in everything, from car engines to notable 18^th century authors. Not in an annoying, know-it-all way (though you probably have that friend too), but in the sense that if you had a question about any topic, you’d trust them to give you a well-reasoned answer. Maybe you’re even that person in your circle of friends.

This quality of this general intelligence earns respect and trust from those around you (as long as you keep it humble). It’s a great characteristic to strive to attain. It helps you to engage people regardless of their interests or areas of expertise.

It’s also a fantastic quality for your business to develop.

Now, of course your company doesn’t do everything from fixing car engines to writing about 18^th century authors (unless you have a very niche organization and a lot of employees who were conflicted about their college majors). It’s not time to haul out the trivia flashcards and write about things that you don’t have much to do with—in fact, your main website topics should be largely about your company.  Your social media, however, allows you to expand on topics that you can use to reach your customers.

First, consider your product and audience, a key point when it comes to content marketing. What motivates your clients to buy your product, and what other interests would they relate to? If you’re an outdoor clothing retailer, for example, you could expand and write about the best hikes around the world, or the world’s most difficult rock climbs, or even the history of using oxygen tanks on Mount Everest. If you’re a tech company, you could do video reviews of the latest products, ruminate on finite resources and how that might affect technology in the future, or expand into unusual areas like make-up technology. Just mix it in with your usual company news and content. Be interesting.

Then consider your industry as a whole. Don’t stick within the borders of your own company and wither away to irrelevance. Post on the latest trends and know the insides and outsides of your industry—discussing the latest breakthroughs or notable events will make your company a jack-of-all-trades, widely trusted and consulted. A peripheral awareness of other industries that have historically been mingled with yours, or might intersect in the future, can’t hurt either.

It sounds a bit daunting. Learning about industries that might, in the future, be connected with yours? But if you can do it, you can be a trailblazer—and it doesn’t take uncanny foresight and skills. Regardless of the industry, there are interesting and engaging aspects of your area that you can utilize to better connect with your audience. There’s a lot of relevant, interesting content out there, so work to find it and help your business become the trusted expert that your clients want.

Sarah Hamilton  – SEO Writer / Editor