With so many diverse types of online marketing striving for a marketer's attention, what should the decision be based on? The criterion are many but if you focus on Return On Investment (ROI) then creating valuable, relevant and unique content - and marketing it - will win the race by a very large margin. ROI from content strategy - which includes content marketing - runs in to 100%, 200% or even more. This article is to help people who have implemented content marketing strategy 2015 to continue with it, and make it a vital part of business marketing.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 1- Genuine Lead Generation
Content marketing delivers genuine qualified leads. High quality content marketing will attract high value clients who always come back, seeking more.
Unlike the traditional methods, where you or a media buyer buy ads space based on a target audience (here big assumptions are made about the target audiences!) and assume that the message will be received; content marketing is more focused and would have been based on personas developed for potential clients. This focus delivers to targeted audiences and results in high quality clients.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 2- Position YOU or your BRAND as Leader
Relevant, original, unique and informative content creation will make you or your brand the leader in your field. This in turns helps recommendations and results in the best form of advertising: word of mouth. There is no comparison when you are recommended by a client or a potential client who has read your content. This is also called "Social Proof" in online marketing lexicon!
Creation of unique and useful content should be taken as a long term goal, not something which will yield result in 3, 4 or 5 months; it's a marathon. It requires good planning, developing and executing and - most importantly - it needs a well thought out strategy. The hard works pays off when it comes to ROI of over 100%, 200% or even 300% in the long run.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 3 - Influence Consumer in Your favor
You can influence your customers with content marketing. Customers who read or consume your content are 70% more likely to convert and become your clients. Content marking allows you to influence your potential customers before they have made their mind.
A study carried out by Roper Public Affairs found that a very high percentage (80%) of decision maker’s favor reading or accessing company information via articles rather than advertisements. A majority (70%) say that content marketing brings them closer to the company, leading to make better decisions.
Can you imagine your customers making purchasing decisions in your company's favor because you are delivering (via e-mail, website etc.) relevant, unique and informative content to them? You have a captivated audience for your products/ services.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 4 - Improves SEO and achieve higher rankings
High quality content will deliver excellent results on the SEO front. Search engines (read Google!) have become extremely smart, and want to deliver correct information to the searching users. Therefore, content marketing has to be the center of your SEO strategy.
Google has gone through various algorithm changes in the last two years and the emphasis is now on relevancy, quality and informational content. If you deliver this type of content on a regular basis in the long term, it's likely to be social shared; Google is using social signals as one the main factors in deciding rankings. Excellent content is a long term winning strategy.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 5 - Improve Social Media Signals
Google has given "social signals" a very important role to play in its algorithm. It essentially means that the more your content is shared socially - i.e. on Twitter, Face book, Pinterest -, on any other social platforms the more people will follow you.
Content creation and marketing, therefore, are central to your engagement with all your prospects on any platform.
The other benefit of social sharing is when people make comments on your content - what is known as user generated content. This helps to elevate you or your brand further.
Content Marketing Strategy: Reason 6 - You Will be Loved By Your Customers
Great and informational content not only helps people, but engages them like no other online method. It informs, helps, entertains and inspires people. Great content is not a sales pitch.
The key is to produce content which informs and helps you target your audience with their requirements, but in a way where they can connect with you or your brand in a meaningful way.
Do not think of selling, but instead of helping your current and potential customers first - this will result in long term trust building, word-of-mouth advertising and quality customers who will be ambassadors of either you or your brand.
