Almost every marketer has heard about content marketing by now, but many either don’t see the benefits or moving slowly to implement. But with so many ongoing projects and deliverables in place, a team to manage, and leaders to report to, sometimes content marketing can fall by the wayside. After all, there are many misconceptions out there that content marketing has little ROI, takes too long to execute, and requires too many resources. However, when done right, content marketing has several benefits for the business and you don’t have to expend all of your resources or your wallet to execute it. In this blog, we shatter those misconceptions and offer the biggest benefits to using content marketing to build your brand and enhance your marketing function.
Content Marketing Is More Than Just Publishing Content
Content marketing is often misunderstood. Marketers and business owners alike, who are not familiar with the strategy, first think about all of the materials and “content” they have to develop and whether or not they have the resources or time to produce any of it. While content marketing does mean you’re producing content, it’s more than just that.
Content marketing is the best way to prove to your audience that you are credible, knowledgeable and, most importantly, a trusted resource. The content you produce is value-added, addressing pain points and providing solutions. Value builds trust. Trust builds your brand.
The Biggest Benefits of Adopting a Smart Content Marketing Strategy
Still not convinced that content marketing should be woven into your greater marketing strategy? Here are the biggest benefits:
- It builds your presence. The more content you produce, the more likely your brand or business will be found – in a lot of ways, it really is just a game of odds. Of course, the more strategic you can be about where you are found (i.e. as the answer to a recurring question your customers have), the more likely your leads will be interested in what you have to offer.
- It connects you with your audience. By nature, content is designed to engage. Whether via compelling images or thoughtful stories, your content has the ability to make a connection with your audience. And, as this audience grows, so does your ability to grow your business.
- It attracts new customers. Like all other types of marketing, the end goal of content marketing is the same: to get your business more customers. The beauty of content marketing is that it doesn’t just move warm bodies to your website. Instead, content marketing finds the right people, engages them, and then makes the pitch. This type of nurturing has proven to be more effective time and time again at not just converting more leads to sales, but also increasing the frequency and size of purchases.
- It increases customer loyalty. Content marketing is an investment. It requires time, creativity and strategy. But, like the saying goes, you get what you give. The more you invest in your business, the more reasons current customers will have to stick around. By increasing loyalty, content marketing can maximize the potential of each customer you have, making your business – and its products – more valuable.
- It creates new opportunities. A by-product of content marketing is, well, great content. And, while that isn’t unexpected, what is a nice surprise is how many ways you can monetize content. From paid webinars, affiliate links and eBooks to monthly subscriptions, educational courses and live events, content is a great way for businesses to generate more money as they grow.
At its very foundation, content marketing is, yes, all about content. However, it’s leveraging content to create a valuable user experience by offering educational, informative, and at times, entertaining material and resources. And when you do it right, content marketing has numerous business benefits. You may not see results over night, but the ROI is incredible because it allows you to expand your audience, attract new customers, and retain a loyal customer base.
Want to know more about content marketing and where to start? Let’s talk! Seventh Scout helps brands with content marketing strategy, creation, curation, and analytics. Plus – we’ll help integrate content marketing into your greater marketing strategy.
