Challenging Assumptions in Content Marketing: Insights from Ann Handley
Ann Handley, a digital marketing pioneer, inspires marketers to think about their customers instead of completing the content work they need to work on. Effective content marketing strategies, as suggested by Handley, help us reach more people with purpose. When it comes to our tutoring company, understanding Handley’s insight helps us create more content that our customers might be more interested in. In the video “Ann Handley- Why we need to challenge our assumptions as Content Marketers,” she states that it is essential to note that not just one type of content will be more effective than others. For example, instead of seeing video and writing as two different content creation methods, we can combine both to allow customers to read what they are watching.
The Power of Video Content
1. Enhance Communication
Clear communication between the marketers and their customers is crucial for a business. For example, using videos provides a visual demonstration, making the concept easier to understand. For example, in our tutoring business, we can use video to show step-by-step instructions for solving a math problem. This makes it easier for students to understand.
2. Engagement and Connection
Video content creates a stronger sense of connection by allowing viewers to see, hear, and feel the experience in real time. For our tutoring company, a video introducing the tutor can help build a stronger connection with the tutor before their first session.
3. Social Media and Sharing
Sometimes, when people scroll through social media, they see a video that they might like and share with their friends. This results in the video having more views. It can be very helpful when promoting a special offer or showcasing how our tutors work with our students to understand the material more easily.
The Power of Writing Content
1. Accessibility and Convenience
When content is written, customers can refer back to the article at any time they need. In the case of a tutoring company, this is important for our students who might want to review something quickly that they might need to remember.
2. SEO Benefits
Blog posts and articles increase website views due to the benefits of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). By implementing keywords in the blog posts and articles, more students can be attracted to our page, resulting in more clients.
3. Depth and Detail
Depth and detailed information can be provided through written content. In our case for the tutoring company, it can result in comprehensive explanations for our different subjects.
The Balance Between Video and Writing Content
Handley emphasizes that we shouldn’t rely on just one type of content—like writing or video. Instead, combining the two creates a richer experience. For example, we can have written content for our tutoring company with detailed explanations of what was covered in the video. This will not only help our engagement but also benefit us from SEO. Our students can also resort back to our video/written content to clarify information or review a specific topic.
Final Thoughts on Combining Video and Written Content
In conclusion, I support Ann Handley’s comment on video versus written content because combining the two will target both the audiences that like to watch videos as well as those that like to read through it. We should not see it as two different things, we should combine the two to give the best result for our customers. Based on our needs and goals we can change our approach around to have the best results.