What makes good email marketing content?

Creating good content boils down to giving your audience, usually your existing or prospective customers, something they will find useful and informative. Content marketing or inbound marketing is all about respect, building trust, and being an expert for your audience without actively selling to them.

With inbound marketing costing 62% less per lead than traditional outbound marketing (Mashable), content really is king. Creating content can seem like a daunting task... but it doesn't have to be.

Our guide below will help you create great content by leveraging your knowledge and letting you do what you do best:

1. Tell your story.

Each and every one of us, individuals or businesses, have stories to tell. Good content tells your story. Think about how you talk to your customers and the image your brand portrays. Take that and replicate it in your tone of voice. Good communication is about what we say and how we say it; this is what storytelling is.

Use your content to paint a picture of your business. Are you factual and concise? Are you personable and friendly? Are you funny and informal? Are you thought leaders? Your brand's story permeates through all your different digital channels.

Telling your story effectively builds trust, respect and loyalty in your customers.

2. Answer your customers' questions.

It can be tricky to know when to start when creating content, particularly if you're looking at running a blog. A great starting point is to think about the questions your customers ask you on a regular basis. Each one of these questions can be transformed into a piece of great content that you can share across all your digital channels.

3. Educate and inform.

Great content tells people something they didn't know before and does so in a way that's stimulating and interesting. Use your knowledge and your expertise to give your customers something they can only get from you.

4. Be an expert.

No one knows your business better than you. You are the expert and you are the authority. By providing expert insight you further establish your brand's credentials and continue to build trust and respect - two of the key drivers that inform consumer purchases. We like buying from people we can trust.

5. Keep it fresh.

The use of content marketing has to be fresh and has to be regular. If you make the decision to have a blog or use a new social media channel then make sure you stick to it and make sure you take a targeted approach to using it. Good content is 'of the moment' and regularly updated, making your brand dynamic and agile - two more appealing aspects that influence consumers.

6. Use your toolbox.

Good content is more than just words. It's a rich tapestry of multimedia. Think how you can use images to tell your story, think about how video will engage your customers and think about how the same message can be repurposed across multiple platforms. Use your digital marketing toolbox to make sure your message reaches all the different demographics of your customer base.

7. Have a call to action.

Good content isn't about a hard sell but that's not to say it can't be an essential part of your sales mechanism. Think about what you want your content to achieve. If it's a social media post, is the aim to drive traffic to your website? A good call to action will encourage your customers to take the next step and move deeper into your sales funnel.

8. Be chunky.

We consume information in chunks and good content comes packaged in an easily digestible format. The use of different headings, sub-headings, bullet points and numbered lists make it much easier for your information to reach your audience.

9. Leave people wanting more.

Tease with your content. Give enough away to make yourself/it invaluable but make it good enough that people will want to come back for more. Become a source they go to for information.

10. The 6 Ws.

Who, why, what, when, where and how - it's the answer to these questions that everyone wants to know. Answer these questions, and you'll be on the right path.

Content creation can seem like a minefield at first glance but it doesn't have to be. Write about what you know, answer questions and do it in an informative way that suits your brand.