What is Content Marketing?
Content Marketing is a bit of a buzz-term at the moment, and rightfully so. It’s at the core of all marketing methods and is not some trendy fad that’ll be irrelevant in a few years time. Content Marketing is an effective and powerful way for businesses to get long-term results, and it’s here to stay. Businesses that are early adopters will benefit the most.
Essentially, it consists of creating content for your audience (customers, clients, prospects etc). This means creating valuable content on your website in the form of a blog which can also be used in newsletters for email marketing and social media posts. The idea is to provide as much value as possible for the reader by entertaining, educating or informing them.
Content marketing can:
- Build brand reputation
- Improve customer trust and engagement
- Increase sales!
The more quality content a business creates, the more customers they will attract and ultimately the more sales they will make.
Which businesses need content marketing?
Content marketing can be powerful for almost any type of business, however, these are the types that can benefit the most:
- Start-ups
Every new business needs to build customer awareness. Having a website with content tells people everything they need to know about you as well as helping you build a brand reputation and drive sales.
- Brands that want long-term customers
By providing lots of valuable content for your customers you can build a strong relationship with them and keep them coming back again and again. They’ll feel loyal to your brand due to the stories you tell and the value you provide them.
- Businesses that get customers from Google (and other search engines)
Content Marketing is the backbone of SEO so if your business relies on customers finding you on Google, content marketing is vital. This applies to many sectors as the first-place people go when they have a question, is Google. Creating content based on popular search terms means your business is more likely to appear in search results.
- Companies launching new products or entering a new market
If you’re launching a new product targeted at a new demographic, market or area, it’s important your potential customers know about what you have to offer but also ‘buy in’ to you as a company.
- Brands that have a story to tell
Story-telling is the best form of content creation. Customers like knowing the background of a business and the driving factor behind why the business exists. When this comes through strongly in their content, it can help build a relationship with the customer – especially if it’s something they relate to.
- Companies that need to build customer trust
The main benefit of content marketing is that it builds trust amongst customers and can drastically improve the reputation of a company. This is done by creating content that demonstrates the companies’ level of experience and knowledge by providing immense value for customers and prospects.
Content marketing works particularly well for businesses that need to have a good relationship with the customer or for businesses that may have a bit of a bad rap.
For example, insurance brokers, estate agents, mortgage brokers, solicitors, cosmetic doctors, healthcare companies, all rely on building trust with the customer.
- Companies solving a complex problem
If your company has a solution to a problem, content marketing is an effective way to inform and educate your audience. It can build credibility and even drive sales.
- Businesses that want to engage with their customers
The best way for a business to learn about their customer is through content. Content can spark comments, shares and likes on social media which gives the business an insight into what their audience likes or dislikes as well as what to create more (or less of) in the future. It’s also a great way to have a direct relationship with customers and inform them of new things goings on in the business.
The key to effective content marketing requires quality content created on a consistent basis. Simply posting a blog post here and there isn’t enough for businesses to get results.
Content marketing isn’t an overnight win. It’s a journey that has the power to reap big rewards in the long-term and provide a better ROI than traditional advertising methods.
Like anything, it’s the early adopters that will benefit the most.
