Jessica Ainsworth - The Beginners Guide to Content Marketing: How to Drive Traffic, Provide Value and Increase Revenue

Copyright 2020 by Jessica Ainsworth

Edited by Kat Williams

Cover Design by 100 Covers

Author Photograph by Todd I Mason Jr., Capture Essence Photography

Formatting & Typesetting by Black Bee Media

ISBN 978-1-7356885-3-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

While the author has made every effort to ensure that the ideas, statistics, and information presented in this book are accurate to the best of his/her abilities, any implications direct, derived, or perceived, should only be used at the readers discretion. The author cannot be held responsible for any personal or commercial damage arising from communication, application, or misinterpretation of the information presented herein.

Internet addresses given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

Contents

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If you dont have time to do something right the first time, when will you have time to do it over?

John Wooden

Acknowledgements

It takes a village Many make the mistake of assuming they achieve great things all on their own when in fact, it takes a village to get there. And so, this is where Id like to thank my own village.

To Bob and Sherry Cross - thank you for all of the love and support youve given to us. Our village would surely collapse without you guys!

To Steve and Jyllian - the best mentors, gurus, bosses, legal marketing EXPERTS, and so much more. Thank you all for your constant support and lessons. I absolutely love working with you all!

To any lawyers or law firms out there looking for marketing services, look no further! Steve and Jyllian, founders of Precision Legal Marketing, are proven leaders in legal marketing. Your budget and ultimately, your ROI will thank you.

Thank you to Rob, Jessica and Maxine for your support and above all, your friendship. Thank you to Patty and Alex Boyle for always offering to have at least one of the kids come over for a play-date when you know Im under pressure! And of course, to Tony - our super awesome neighbor and friend.

A big HUGE shout out and thank you to Kat, the best book editor a girl could ask for. Also - hi, Mitchell!

Sending appreciation out to Self-Publishing School which helped me stand on my own two feet as a self-published author and to point me in the right direction. A special thanks and shout out to Lise Cartwright, my coach with SPS.

And last but not least, thank you to my family. Any writer knows that when inspiration strikes, until you get it all out on paper everything else gets ignored, especially the dishes and sometimes your spouse and kids (but especially the dishes). Thank you for the sacrifices of time youve all made to make sure that I finished this book so that I could share it with the world.

And thank you to all of you who are taking the time to read this. I am forever grateful for your support.

Download Your FREE Gifts

Weve put together some resources to help you implement your Facebook Advertising strategy. From templates to worksheets and infographics, youll find a ton of resources to help you take the next step. To access the free resources mentioned in this book (and more!), simply follow the link below.

Download your FREE resources here:

https://www.beginnersguidetomarketing.com/contentmarketing

Check out our website for additional resources, information and upcoming books:

www.beginnersguidetomarketing.com

Introduction

What the heck is content marketing? It is a form of marketing that involves the creation of various forms of content. It is a way of building brand awareness, interest and leads for your business.

By producing relevant, value-driven content that is accessible to your audience for free (or for their contact information at most), youre able to set yourself up for success. If youre asking what kind of content you should be producing, the answer is this: any thats relevant to your industry. If you are a financial advisor and youre putting out content on makeup and fashion, youre attracting people who are not likely to convert to customers. Stay focused on your end goal of lead generation. Make sure that you are providing value and attracting those youve defined as your target audience.

Not sure who exactly your target audience is? You are in the right place. This book will help you define your target audience and walk you through a basic understanding of what content marketing is and how you maximize your efforts for a higher Return on Investment (ROI).

Creating content is not normally enough to achieve big results. When coupled with search engine optimization (SEO) and a strong marketing strategy, you can greatly increase the traffic to your website, your brands exposure and therefore, the number of leads and ROI.

This is not a get rich quick scheme. There is no overnight success. It takes research, hard work and time. When the content on your website employs SEO strategies and the right keywords, you may start seeing results (i.e. ranking higher on the search engines) as soon as 4 to 6 months, or more likely 6 to 12 months time. Other forms of content, such as videos, social posts and landing pages, when pushed out a wider audience, can build some great traction for your company.

Its all a process, but it is possible, and if youre willing to put in the work, youll reap the rewards.

Image source: Precision Legal Marketing

A Note from the Author

On the heels of my Beginners Guide to Facebook Advertising book comes our latest in the Beginners Guide series to marketing - The Beginners Guide to Content Marketing.

It was through writing the Facebook Advertising book that I realized that I have the power to help those businesses left vulnerable in the wake of COVID-19. Businesses across the nation are struggling to find innovative ways to drive traffic to their website (and businesses) and ultimately, convert them to customers. After suffering a huge loss in revenue, many businesses are on the brink of closing - and many already have. This book is designed with them in mind. To be a beacon of support to guide business owners down the path to marketing success.

It takes a village .

Which is why Ive put together a bunch of free resources for you, my dear readers, and all it costs is your email address (? See what Ive done here?!). Dont worry, we dont spam, nor do we share or sell your information.

Download your free resources to help you create an effective content marketing strategy for your business by visiting:

https://www.beginnersguidetomarketing.com/contentmarketing

Regardless of whether you download the free resources, I thank you for purchasing my book and I sincerely hope that it helps you on your path to success.

All the best!

Chapter 1: What is Content Marketing?

What is content marketing? Content marketing is exactly what it says - content used for marketing. Content marketing is a strategic approach to marketing, providing new avenues to provide relevant and valuable content to your current, former and potential clients. It is conducted with the intent of lead generation and building on brand awareness and brand recognition. Dont worry, well get to what those terms mean and why theyre important in a few minutes. For those with a creative flair, content marketing can be a really fun and creative opportunity to showcase your business and expand your reach.