5 reasons why Content Marketing must be part of your business’ Marketing Strategy

If you use digital marketing as part of your business’s marketing, content marketing should be central to your marketing strategy.  After all, digital requires content to be effective.

For many, the concept of content marketing may seem foreign but closer inspection will prove that it is not so new at all.  Do you post on social media? Is there a description of your business or product available on your social media pages or website? Yes; that’s content; and content marketing would be the consistent creation and distribution of this information which is used to attract and retain a specific audience.  This of course, is with the ultimate effort of driving profitable customer action.

One of the most persistent issues facing many small business owners is the lack of a sustained marketing budget.  The most sizeable part of the business budget is used in the areas of product development and for other business set-up costs often time leaving nothing for marketing.   Content Marketing is one of the strategies that can fill the gap while the business works on its budget. 

Content Marketing has proven time and again that it is a valuable addition to any marketing strategy.  The Content Marketing Institute reports that while it costs 62% less than outbound marketing, content marketing generates more than three times as many leads.

The following are five reasons why this inexpensive yet effective marketing tool must be included as part of your business’s marketing strategy:

-       Builds brand awareness – Imagine you had this great product but no-one knew, not even the people you made it for… content marketing is one of the most significant marketing tools that a business owner can use to build awareness and increase visibility around his brand. Writing your own copy means that you have the opportunity to position the business the way you want it to be perceived by your customers.  Content Marketing provides the opportunity to coin your business’s message using clear language and delivering it using platforms that your client group utilizes.

-       Attracts buyers – Using the concept of the consumer buying process, customers first recognize the need for an item and then goes searching for the information to lead them to the specific item.  When you have well-written copy about your business offering, that is easily accessible and readily available, you have already won in the eyes of the consumers, especially if yours is the only information he can find.

-       Easy to share on social media – One of the biggest benefits of content marketing is its shareability.  Sharing useful, relevant and timeless information on social media can impact your business positively and when your customers share your business information with their friends; it extends the life of the post and increases business visibility.  Encourage your customers and other stakeholders to share positive news about your business on social media; done right, it should result in leads that will positively affect your bottom line.

-       Builds expertise, credibility & authority – Aside from sharing information about specific the product or service you provide, you could also extend your knowledge sharing to include industry-specific information which positions you as an expert on the specific industry or subject.  Your customers and industry-peers will come to trust your knowledge and heed your guidance when making decisions.  Sharing your expertise will also position you as an authority on the subject matter and yours could become a credible voice for your industry.

-       Inexpensive way to share your message – Content Marketing provides the most inexpensive means of sharing your message and long after the content has been posted, it will live on in perpetuity on the internet.  Content Marketing is like the gift that keeps on giving.