Does Content Marketing Really Matter?
The secret's out. Content is king.
It’s taken a few decades, but more businesses are beginning to understand that they’re more likely to consistently engage loyal consumers when the begin the relationship by offering relevant, valuable information that the consumer can use. Today. Easily. Without paying for it.
When you use the “How Much House Can You Afford?” or debt reduction calculator offered by a financial service, and it’s simple, convenient, and full of useful information, where are you likely to go when you want to buy the house, or finance a new car? The financial institution is counting on your return to them. This is an example of effective content marketing.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, more than 70 percent of BTB marketers are increasing their use of content marketing.
Why is content development so important to overall communications strategy?
- ENGAGEMENT. Unlike other methods of marketing, content marketing encourages engagement. Whether the content is the form of a social media update, blog post or infographic, users engage. If the content is good, users will pause to consume, digest the brand message, possibly comment, like or share the content.
- SEO. High-quality content on site or site blog has a significant impact on SEO and ranking on search engines. Original content published on a regular basis helps a site rank organically for relevant search terms and keywords. The higher the ranking, the greater the exposure of the company/brand to consumers searching for the content you deliver.
- CREDIBILITY. Consistently publishing superior content establishes your brand as an authority and increases credibility.
- LEADS AND SALES. All this brand awareness and credibility you're building increases exposure which increases leads and sales. While good content is often more about providing value than making a sale, it gives consumers an opportunity to see who you are without a sales message interrupting the engagement. While inundating consumers with product/service-oriented content can have a negative effect on the relationship with the brand, good editorial cultivates a positive relationship as consumers move from readers to customers and sometimes even brand advocates.
- VALUE. Content that adds value generally solves a problem in the consumer's everyday life or teaches them something new. No wonder it's well received. The value isn't tangible and may not have a direct financial correlation, but it's essential to the business model and the relationship between consumers and the brand. Blog posts, instructional videos, webinars, podcasts, and infographics are all well-received formats for educational content.
- TRAFFIC. In addition to increased SEO and improved ranking, high-quality original content drives people to the website and keeps them there. A website with a blog that's full of engaging content encourages consumers to visit page multiple times.
As you can see, content matters. But it can be overwhelming to determine where to begin.
From the brainstorming session and editorial calendar production to the development and execution of a content strategy, we have the experience and resources to create compelling content that converts.