When you are trying to grow a business at a low cost, what do you do? Google a strategy, of course. That is the power of content marketing, but yet it is so easy to ignore.
If for some reason you are struggling to convince others (or you are not fully confident yourself) that content marketing is the game-changer you need, here are ten benefits for you to consider.
1. Better visibility on Google
How many people find your business on Google by searching for you specifically versus those that stumble upon you from a relevant search term? If you want to grow your business, you need more people ending up on your website mistakenly, as this could mean potential customers.
Now, this could happen by fluke or by strategic planning. Content marketing strategies with Catherine Nikkel help you get on people’s radar – individuals who never knew your business existed. This won’t happen just by you writing a thousand articles, but instead by using proven digital marketing tactics.
2. Give your customers more to see
The best sales asset you have is your website. To make the most of it, you need visitors to stay on your website. The more time they spend on your website reading articles, watching videos and interacting with your content, the more opportunities you get to convert.
Not every visitor would want to buy your product or service the first time they come to your site, but if you keep them coming back for more useful, informative content, you build trust and the chances of conversion will increase.
3. Increase your sales
With great content marketing comes great opportunities, one of which is the ability to sell more. Content marketing props up your conversion rate by first giving buyers confidence, especially if you are new to the market or relatively unknown.
By first proving you understand customers, the market, and their needs, they are more inclined to purchase your product, thus making the sales process easier and quicker.
You can also consider creating your own sales funnel. It’s actually quite easy to set up your own sales funnel – and we recommend checking out this guide for more information.
4. Have an impact on the market
Every industry has loads of quacks – where there are good companies, there are terrible ones, but customers don’t always know the difference. The question is, who do customers go to for information? It needs to be you because that is what your clientele needs.
A lot of fake news is passed around on the web and content from reputable companies helps people find their way. This is a noble cause, and yes, it will eventually help your bottom line as well.
5. Save money on traditional marketing
Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing while generating three times more leads. Talk about a fantastic rate of return! Besides this, it is also way less annoying. Nobody likes adverts on TV or the radio unless they’re amazing and tailored to your audience’s interests, which is why Netflix is such a huge hit.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is more pleasant because you don’t go around bothering people’s screens, they come looking for you.
6. Boost the popularity of your brand
New companies have a hard time attracting clients. Their larger, well-known competitors hug the spotlight, which is one of the reasons why startups fail. How do you break through the barrier without undercutting yourself out of the market?
Content marketing is a level playing field that allows any company of any size, get ranked and seen by thousands and even millions of potential customers. You can’t out-spend them on commercials, but you can write great content and target keywords they have ignored and thus squeeze your way into the limelight.
7. Improve brand perception
It is one thing to be seen, it is quite another to be regarded as a leading brand. This goes beyond producing content and into sharing your posts on other reputable websites. One endorsement from a site people trust will automatically make your brand appear more credible.
Repeat the process on other trusted platforms, and soon, you’ll be recognised as an authority. Don’t believe it? Just ask Carly Rae Jepson.
8. Enjoy compounding ROI
Content marketing is the gift that keeps giving. It usually takes a while (a few months typically) before you start to see results from tons of published content, but when it does, it keeps rolling. Not only does it give an impressive return on investment (ROI) in the short term, it also yields excellent results in the long-run. It is also highly measurable.
Just think of the number of times you searched for something on Google and found the article was written 5-7 years ago. That article is still yielding returns for the company long after it has been forgotten.
9. Grow social media followers
Contrary to what many people think, content marketing is not so different from social media marketing. Some people argue that it is the same. While that may be debatable, what isn’t is the fact that content marketing helps grow your social media followers, which in turn boosts your web traffic.
When visitors like your blogs and are getting something out of what they are reading, they will likely follow you on social media. Creating great content makes people want to share it, Tweet it, comment on it or like it. This powerful endorsement then makes it easier for their friends to not only follow your company but take a closer look at what you are offering, which would hopefully lead to more sales.
10. It helps your customer service
Lastly, on this list anyway, content marketing boosts customer service and satisfaction. Every company/industry has frequently asked questions. Instead of having clients call you all day, put the content out on your website.
You can write it as an FAQ, or you can take each question and explain it in detail. This will reduce the demand on your customer service team and will also make customers happier as nobody likes having to make calls.
Can it be that easy?
Nothing about content marketing is easy. Sure, a few people have had success with it without any prior training, but to get the type of results you want – and fast – will require skill and experience. Once you can learn the tricks of the trade or use the services of a digital marketing agency, you will reap the benefits for a very long time.
Dissimilar to B2C, B2B online business includes deals made between organizations, for example, a maker and a distributer or retailer. B2B isn’t customer confronting and happens just between organizations.