5 REASON TO USE CONTENT MARKETING PART 1
Why Content Marketing?
Now that you have a better understanding of what content
marketing is, you may be wondering why you should use it. Creating content can
take time and effort away from other things you could be doing for your
business. It’s definitely not a magic pill that you can use to experience
instant profit making results. It is however a very valuable process you can
use multiple times to build your business.
As with any marketing endeavor, you have to take the time
to create a strategy, organize a plan and determine how you will measure a
content marketing campaign. Yes, this takes time but it is time well spent.
Here are some statistics that show the value of creating content.
1. According
to Nielsen, 58% of consumers trust editorial content.
2. 80%
of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of
articles versus an advertisement
3. 61%
of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom content
and, they are also more likely to buy from that company.
4. B2B
companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month on average than
non-blogging firms.
5. Content
marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times
as many leads.
6. Interesting
content is the top 3 reasons people follow brands on social media.
Impressive,
right?
Since content marketing is still fairly new, its benefits
are still being determined but these numbers are more than promising. In the
few years that businesses have been incorporating content into their marketing
strategy or creating marketing strategy around content, it has provided great
value.
If you’re on the fence about content marketing because
you’re wary of making the investment, consider that you’re already doing some
form of content marketing without even realizing it. Your website, emails and
company newsletters are all forms of content that you use to contribute to your
company’s brand.
You may not realize it but you are already using content in
your company business even if your intent isn’t to garner sales from it. Now
it’s time to change how you view the communication pieces you create for your
company. Everything you create has the ability to drive sales or build an
audience.
Since you’re already creating content for your business, shouldn’t it
help your bottom line?
Here are some additional benefits to help
get you off the fence:
1. Content
marketing is cost effective
The root of content marketing is information that you
already have. All you need is to put it in a format that can be easily shared
and digested by potential customers. Some of those formats are free to create
and distribute as will be discussed later. They do take time but once you’ve
created a strong piece of content, it can often be used multiple times to
generate income. So while the initial time investment may be fairly high, over
time the benefits gotten from that piece of content will make that investment
worthwhile.
2. Content marketing helps you build
a relationship with your audience
Any time you communicate with your audience, you make room
for a dialogue which leads to a relationship. Brand loyalty comes when
consumers have a relationship with a brand. Before content marketing, that
relationship usually took years to develop. Now you can do it in a much shorter
amount of time by sharing content that helps put a face to your company and
brand. Pulling back the corporate veil to share insights into what drives your
company and the values it represents helps create a much more meaningful
connection with consumers.
Content is the tool you can use to do
that.
3. Content
marketing lets you be a resource
By sharing valuable information and insights with people,
you can demonstrate the value that your company can provide. By presenting
yourself as a resource, it gives you the opportunity to build a level of trust
before people become customers. When customers trust you, they’re much more
likely to become longterm clients. They’re also much more likely to refer other
potential customers to your business.
4. Content
marketing gives you a competitive edge
If you’re not a multinational corporation with a huge
marketing budget, it can seem daunting to get into the marketplace and compete
effectively. You may feel like you don’t have the ability to compete especially
if it’s in an industry with a few major players. Sharing content gives you an
edge because it levels the playing field. You have a unique perspective and can
provide professional insight just like someone at a larger company.
Multinational corporations don’t have a monopoly on knowledge.
5. Content
marketing isn’t industry specific
Every industry can benefit from sharing valuable
information and insight with consumers. You don’t have to be in a creative or
entertainment oriented field to benefit from sharing content.
As long as you are providing value that people can use, you
will benefit from content marketing.
0 Comments