As a business owner, you might have heard the term “Content Marketing” before when discussing your brand’s advertising and promotional strategies. Not sure exactly what this term means? Simply put, Content Marketing refers to the creation and sharing of storytelling materials by brands online. This includes social media posts (Tips to Improve Your Social Media Presence in 2019), videos, articles, podcasts and other forms of communication meant to educate or entertain customers as opposed to the traditional, often intrusive ads.

Content Marketing works extremely well for some businesses, attracting a wider range of clients and building valuable brand loyalty; other businesses may be “doing everything by the book” – posting regularly on social media, and still see no return on their investment whatsoever. If you have ever wondered what is holding your marketing efforts back, which studies have shown the majority of brands wonder, the answer is very simple: If your Content Marketing doesn’t have a relevant, consistent strategy and you aren’t producing visual, aesthetically-pleasing content, nothing else you do online really matters.

Small business owners tend to rely on tactics like word-of-mouth or print media to advertise, so it might seem shocking to you that the best way to drive your sales up today is by focusing on storytelling – or in other words, Content Marketing. Gartner has predicted that in the near future, Content Marketing will cease to exist as a term because all marketing will be focused on and driven by content.

They key here is that customers only respond to great stories, they don’t care about mediocre ones. Posting photos you took on your phone on Facebook once or twice a week may give your brand some online visibility but it won’t drive your sales up or grow your business. If Content Marketing isn’t your priority, people simply won’t care or pay attention to your business.

Now let’s take a look at some reasons Content Marketing actually works!

You’re Solving a Problem Your Customer Has

Think about it this way, if someone finds your business online – they were searching for it for a reason. They have a problem and they need someone to solve it. The challenging part is standing out from the competition and proving you are more worthy of this customer’s business. Content Marketing is your hero in this case because buyers now are more self-directed and diligent with their decisions than ever (Four Key Strategies to Secure Customer Reviews for Your Business); they see your content provides them with tutorials, guides, checklists, or any other type of helpful resource that can solve their problem.

The “spray and pray” method most businesses use for online content is a waste of valuable time. With a strong Content Marketing strategy, you are able to create exactly what a potential customer is looking for and deliver it exactly where they are looking for it. This fosters engagement, increases your traffic and prompts them to take action.

Using Content Marketing effectively helps you show customers you’re the expert in the industry, which affects their purchasing behaviors and decisions.

You’re Showing You’re The Expert In Your Field

How does a new customer know that you’re the best in the industry?

A strong Content Marketing Strategy gives you the chance to show your audience over and over again that you have exactly what they are looking for. This builds trust between you and customers which influences them to see your business as an expert on the products/services you discuss. This influence doesn’t stop there, it also affects their purchasing behaviors and decisions, increasing the chances they’ll become a repeat customer.

To put a numerical value on this information, a study from inPowered found that strategized Content Marketing increased awareness by 88% more than random content, and increased purchase consideration by 38%.

Content Marketing significantly increases a brand’s chance of attracting more organic traffic through links to blog articles, videos and social media profiles.

You’re Dominating The Rankings

We’ve discussed the importance of SEO (Ten Quick Tips for Improving Your Local SEO) in pointing your customers to your business. Without captivating Content Marketing, little to no value can be found in SEO. A successful strategy moves past relying on your business’s website to draw in organic traffic, it frequently hits customers through different digital platforms. For example, when a customer searches a term, they find links to blog articles, videos and social media profiles relevant to their search. This greatly increases a brand’s chance of attracting more organic traffic to drive results.

Content is at the center of everything our Marketing Specialists do here at Media Explode. Hopefully, this insight can help you understand what your online marketing strategy might be lacking and what you need to do to level it up in a way that amplifies your results. If you aren’t sure where to start to create your own successful, impactful strategy contact our Marketing Specialists today and let’s grow your business together!