Content marketing is a popular technique used by many businesses these days to build relationships with existing and potential consumers. It is a method of communicating while avoiding trying to sell directly and focusing more on pieces of interest for example. Essentially, it is seen as non-interruption marketing; delivering clear information which informs the consumer, rather than delivering a sales pitch, and it’s proving to be an extremely successful approach.
Customers prefer concise and complete information; answering any concerns and frequently asked questions. They can enjoy advantages like these when your company has this available to them, packaged in entertainment or informative blog posts, amongst other forms of media. The essence behind this strategy is to deliver consistent, up-to-date and sought after information to prospective buyers with the belief that you’ll be rewarded with loyalty and added business.
By comparison, advertising techniques such as banner ads, pop-up windows and pre-roll videos can sometimes be seen as an interruption to users when they’re attempting to unearth answers. While these methods of advertising still certainly have their place, they need to be combined with an effective content strategy to keep users happy. Consumers of today are interested in fast, easy-to-understand solutions to their questions. Pushing sales pitches in their face will mostly be met with irritation; whereas having well thought-out data that’s relevant to their search queries and lives will help meet their needs more effectively.
How Do Businesses Do It?
The most popular forms of content marketing include non-blogging social media, posting articles, sending e-newsletters, blogs, webcasts, white papers and videos.
The Advantages of Content Marketing
- Content marketing generates more leads – On average, small businesses which utilise content marketing make 55% more leads, whilst paying 62% less. Comparatively, say pay-per-click advertising gains you 20 leads for $35, content marketing could have gained you a whopping 33 sales for free or the price of a freelancer, without added costs. If you or your team write the content yourselves, then you’ll pay next to nothing for those same 33 leads.
- Cost efficient and permanent – Paid advertisements will only display on search engines for the duration you are being actively billed on your credit card. New content on your website, however, will continue to live on and thrive, attracting new consumers daily for as long as the content is up. This means that you only have to put the effort in once to enjoy the cost-free benefits.
- Risk Mitigation – Developing a customer’s loyalty and trust is a huge part of developing a business. Content marketing creates a level of trust by giving users clear, correct, and up-to-date information which assists them in making the right decisions. This reduces both organisational and personal risk.
- Creating brand awareness through engagement – Always remember that it is your visitor’s engagement which essentially fuels the interest, and bolsters the relationship. This requires that you have quality content, as what you publish reflects on your business. Having well-written, well-organised and creative social pages, websites, pamphlets, e-books etc. helps to generate leads and perpetuate brand awareness.