Having trouble getting noticed by buyers? One marketer is counseling businesses to cancel their ad buys in favor of organic multimedia content.
Have you Googled keywords related to your business lately?
If not, go ahead and do it now because it's important to know if you're on top of the search results. If you're not, even when you do a local search, that's a serious problem—because you're practically invisible.
So, what can you do about it? The "normal" solution is to spend a ton of money on advertising, but that's a stopgap at best. But is there a way to build sustainable visibility without giving search engines more money?
We all know the drill: just whip out your credit card so you can temporarily secure ad spots for a week or two with a big "sponsored ad" banner atop your content—and all this does is make anyone continue scrolling.
“The most obvious issue with sponsored content is that it is perceived as inauthentic,” explains Mike Johnson, the founder of JTek Resources, an agency specializing in unconventional approaches to content marketing. “Everyone wants to get the best answers, products, or services, not the ones from whoever paid the most to be on top.”
“This is where content marketing comes in,” he adds.
Rather than relying on ads, a more sustainable way to build brand visibility is by laying a foundation of organic and original content. “Instead of putting money into ads that disappear when you run out of cash, you can build your online presence with blogs, podcasts, videos, and other forms of engaging content,” Mike explains.
When asked how his approach differs from what marketers and businesses are already doing, Mike explains that one thing he does differently is ensuring that his content campaigns are placed on many high-authority sites.
Mike explains that going multimedia is important for two reasons. “Firstly, it increases the chances of your content being seen by your intended audience because it is on multiple platforms.”
According to him, the platforms you should consider shouldn’t be limited to popular video-sharing sites like YouTube or TikTok, but should also include platforms that allow you to share podcast audio, blogs, slide shows, and even infographics.
“Secondly, by being on platforms with high domain authority, you'll be able to leverage that authority and zoom past your competitors in rankings,” Mike says, adding that being associated with trusted platforms like news sites could help satisfy one of Google’s ranking categories: prominence.
“There’s no marketer out there who knows exactly how Google’s algorithm works, but we can make educated guesses based on patterns,” Mike says. “And so far, the methods I’ve mentioned have benefited the businesses who’ve come to us for help.”
Mike, however, admits that this multimedia approach is not for someone looking for a quick fix. “Although your content will not be magically placed at the top of the search engine instantly, as ads are, each piece helps your brand climb the search ranks organically, and that's much more important.”
He explains that as each new marketing campaign becomes available and is indexed by search algorithms, it signals to search engines that the content is interesting, relevant, and trustworthy, which helps raise its overall authority. “That means you're getting a long-term benefit, unlike ads that simply disappear when they expire.”
But if launching a multimedia content campaign sounds too overwhelming, time-strapped business owners are advised to seek professional help. “Content marketers can lay the foundation for you that you can build on later,” Mike says.
This content is provided in partnership with JTek Resources and is intended for informational purposes only. The views, opinions, and advice expressed in this article are solely those of JTek Resources and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any other individual, organization, or entity.
