More and more all the time, content marketing is becoming a vital part of any successful marketing strategy. No longer can you put out a few radio, TV, or print ads and call it a day. In our non-stop digital world, consumers are avoiding traditional marketing methods whenever possible. As a small business, you must find another way to reach them. Luckily, content marketing is the answer to this problem. There are many reasons why content marketing is beneficial for business growth, and below you will find a few of our favorites.
- It Builds Relationships
Content marketing allows you as the business to develop a relationship with your potential and current customers like never before. Rather than calling a phone number and waiting on hold to speak to a representative, consumers can instantly reach out via your social media channels with any questions, concerns, complaints or praise that they may have. You have the ability to respond and handle any issues in near real-time, leading to greater customer satisfaction.
While this may seem like a daunting task, from a customer standpoint it is a fabulous development. They no longer feel like a nameless face in the crowd. They begin to feel as if they know your business on a personal level, and in turn, begin to feel a greater sense of loyalty to your company. With the right people in charge of your blogging and social media campaigns, you can begin to develop a positive relationship with your clients that would have been impossible just a few years ago.
Creating custom content for your blog and social channels with your target customers in mind allows you to contribute something to the relationship that they will be truly thankful for. Through your content you are able to answer questions that they may have about your industry, products, or services. By answering these questions in easily accessible content, you become invaluable to them. Which leads us to our next point.
- It Establishes You as a Leader
By providing quality custom content for your target market, you begin to establish your business as a leader in your industry. When people begin to think about a purchase, the majority of the time the first thing they will do is go online and begin to research. When they type their query into the search engine and your content pops up as one of the first results they see, they begin to see you as an authority. The more valuable, informative content that you produce, the more they will see you in this light.
If you focus your content on answering questions that you know your target customer typically has, you become a great source of assistance for them. When it comes down to a choice between you and a competitor, they will naturally choose the business they feel is the most helpful, has the answers to their problems, and is top of mind. By establishing yourself as a leader through your content marketing, your business is the obvious choice.
- It’s Inexpensive
One of the best things about content marketing is how incredibly affordable it is. Aside from any set up costs and expenses related to content development, you will encounter very little expense in your content marketing endeavors.
Imagine the expense you would incur if you tried to consistently reach out to your target customer via traditional marketing methods. Purchasing a radio ad to run several times a day, or a television commercial to play during prime time programing would cost a fortune for a small business. With content marketing, you can customize your message, constantly update it, be there to respond and answer questions, and basically remain in front of your target customers eyes 24/7….for nearly no expense at all!
- It Gives You a Voice
An inevitable fact about the online world is that your business will be talked about. Good or bad, people like to share their experiences with their social networks. The great thing about being present and developing a robust online presence with your content marketing strategy is that it allows you to be a large part of the conversation. Rather than leaving it in the hands of others, you are there to participate and influence your online reputation.
Through your company blog, you can develop and push out the exact message that you want your customers to receive. Your business is in control of the majority of what will be found when people are searching for your company online. This is invaluable in a day when nearly everyone researches a company online before making a purchase.
- It Works!
Simply put, content marketing should be a part of your marketing strategy because it works. Rather than avoiding your marketing efforts at all costs, consumers begin to seek them out. Online content marketing doesn’t feel like marketing to the customer. Instead, it feels like helpful content that they actually want to partake in. By consistently putting out valuable content, you remain on the minds of your potential and current customers. Those who are working through the buying process will naturally think of you when they are ready to make a purchase. Those who have already used your products or services will remain involved with your brand, thus developing a sense of loyalty.
For all of these reasons and many, many more, you should absolutely be implementing content marketing to grow your business. To read more, download our FREE eBook on "How Inbound Marketing Drives Real Results."
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