If you own a business of any kind, you know that a successful marketing plan is one of the key components to thriving sales. Traditional marketing techniques are becoming more obsolete, so it is imperative to stay on top of the changing landscape to determine how to best get your product/service in front of potential customers. This is where content marketing can help. According to the Content Marketing Institute, it is defined as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action”.
There are many benefits to content marketing, but today we will cover three of the biggest and most valuable: increased sales, cost effectiveness, and building a more loyal customer base.
Increased Sales
In order for a customer to purchase your product or service, they have to first know you exist. Although using billboards and television ads is still a viable tool, using content marketing can increase traffic on your website, thus increasing potential sales. When you create content for your audience and optimize it for the keywords they’re using in search engines such as Google, you improve your chances of appearing in the results. The content on your site should include providing information to answer a potential customer’s questions about what you are selling. Even if they aren’t ready to buy today, they now have a contact to return to when the time is right.
Cost Effective
By focusing your content being sent to your target audience, you can better utilize marketing funds and have less “marketing waste”. By delivering messages specific to those consumers who will most likely purchase your product, you can save money. You can also access government produced content for free. Although it may not be as specific, it is a starting point and won’t cost you a dime. Social media provides, perhaps, the most cost effective outlet for marketing your business. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer various avenues for you to get your company in the hands of many more consumers than traditional methods. Here are some additional stats on the cost effectiveness of content marketing.
Building a Loyal Customer Base
Creating customer loyalty is a huge component to growing your business, and content marketing can help you achieve that. First, be authentic. Ensure that your brand’s mission statement aligns with the content you are pushing out. Even across technology, customers can feel your authenticity, or lack of. Loyal customers will also spread the word, using social media platforms, to others in their contact lists about your company. This is one of the most powerful ways to promote your business. This is known as earned media. Content marketing also allows you to personalize your connections with customers, hence making them feel more valued. This equates to increased sales and brand loyalty. Consider contests offering freebies to loyal customers who share your site with others.
In these ever changing times, content marketing proves to be a leader in how you can reach customers, show them who you are, and grow your business in a way you may have never imagined using traditional methods.