May 2019 How to use Educational Marketing as a powerful strategy for your business
We have seen over the last 15 years, how some companies use educational marketing to position themselves as an authority in their industry gaining the trust and respect of their database and audience. But generally, these companies don’t state they are an authority, this loose label is bestowed on them over time if their information is sound.
People will always listen or read marketing pieces by companies or contractors who know what they’re going through and have solved similar issues. So an obvious way to create engaging educational pieces is to write about how you solved some of your customers’ typical problems. It is a great way to show them you understand what concerns they have and how your company would go about dealing with the issue.
Here are 2 ways you can present the solution/s to your customers’ pain points:
1. Write a short blog with a customer’s pain point and solution
You could write a blog or article highlighting a common problem many of your customers have experienced and how you solved it. If you are new to this, this article could be sent only to the database you have developed over the years from your customers and other alliances. Such an article will be well received because you already have developed a relationship with your database and have proof the problem you write about is something many experience or have experienced. This is a safe way to build your confidence. You can use email marketing software such as Mailchimp. (Mailchimp is email marketing software that is easy to use and inexpensive. If you have less than 2,000 email addresses on your database it is free to use and inexpensive if you have more).
Of course, you can also post this article on Facebook and linked-in or other social media platforms your audience uses.
2. Create a short video with a customer’s pain point and solution
You can do exactly the same thing as you did in the article above (show your viewer how you solved a common problem), only in this approach you make it a short video by filming it on your IPhone, laptop built-in screen-recorder or an external camcorder you may own.
Here are 2 other educational marketing ideas:
3. Product Instructional Video
This is as simple as creating a video of how your customers and/or audience can simply use one of the popular products you sell. YouTube is full of these instructional 1 – 3 minute videos. Don’t make them too long. Be natural, conversational and show your viewer how they can use your product. This video can be added to your Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn page. If you are unsure whether your customers would see value in such a video, show it to a couple of your customers and ask their opinion, and of course ask your trusted team members.
4. Interview a person
Do you know someone that offers a complementary service or product to the ones you use? And would your customers like to hear their suggestions or their short story? For example: You may own a nursery and a successful landscape designer buys plants from your nursery, so interviewing him or her about a recent design and how they used low maintenance plants to beautify the space could be very useful information to your customers and database.
As you can see, educational marketing is a very effective way to position your business to your growing customer and audience base as a specialist in your field while building a level of trust between you and your viewers. Try it!