When “Content is King” made its way into healthcare marketing the past few years, it felt like our industry was moving in the right direction with a strong focus on creating relevant content that our audience wanted.
And it sounded simple enough. Nearly all the materials that we create in marketing can be considered content and can be packaged in many different forms: articles, info-graphics, blogs, videos, white papers, case studies, podcasts – the list is endless.
We all nodded our heads in agreement and excitedly jumped on the content bandwagon. But then came the challenging task of creating a comprehensive content strategy that includes the kinds of topics that our audience wants to hear and across different media channels – all on top of our day jobs.
So, when I read, They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan, I was struck by what seemed like a simplistic idea: When you’re building your content strategy, create content based on the questions that your customers ask. Sheridan suggests that there are 5 types of content that best parallel the way that people search and that yield the best traffic, conversions and overall brand perception.
Who, What, Which and How Much?
As you look through the list of content subject types below, think about the last big purchase you made, either for yourself or for your business. My guess is that you probably sought for answers to several, if not all, of these questions.
- Pricing and Costs
It feels counter-intuitive to talk about costs or price in your content, but the reality is that buyers want that information and they tend to trust brands they feel are more transparent with it. This type of content also gives you the opportunity to educate customers on reasons for price differences in your industry. - Problems
Like price, this subject type sometimes feels like a danger zone, but if you identify any negative perceptions or reactions to your brands or products, you create content that helps turn weaknesses into strengths and directly addresses any concerns. This content type goes back to building trust by providing an honest answer to your customers about your industry and products. - Versus and Comparisons
I was recently considering a car purchase and like most buyers, I was researching a few different options and wanted to see how they compared. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a post from Toyota showed up in the top 5 search results when I googled one of their models versus a competitor’s model. And the content in the post blew me away. It included an overview of their model and an overview of their competitor’s model, and their conclusion didn’t name a clear winner. Instead, it reiterated a few pros of their model and a few pros of the other model. It felt like they respected the intelligence of their buyers and wanted to provide helpful and unbiased information. - Reviews
In today’s purchasing arena, it’s all about “social proof.” When shopping on Amazon, the second option to sort by (only after price) for product results is “sort by: average customer review.” Case studies, testimonials and product reviews top the list of content that we turn to for “personal” recommendations of products, services and tools. And while we love these honest endorsements of our brand (seriously, these pieces are like gold to marketers), we can also create meaningful review content that includes other players in our industry that will help our customers and bolster our position as a trusted resource. - Best in Class
This content subject could be approached as an article on the “Best in Class” manufacturers in the industry, the “best practices” to follow for your specific category or even “Top 10” lists of things that buyers should know about a particular topic in your niche.
The great news about these content subject types is you are already an expert in your field, and by creating content that answers questions for your customers, you educate them and earn their trust.