What is the Value of Content Marketing?

Posted on Aug 10, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

If you aren’t content marketing, you aren’t marketing. Content marketing, also called custom content, is all about creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to drive profitable consumer action. Take the words “valuable” and “relevant” out of the mix, and you become just another spammer tossing messages randomly into the ocean of consumers. But appropriately created, targeted and distributed, your content is one of your best shots and increasing your business profits.

Sharing content is how business leaders and industry experts influence decision-making among target markets.

Whether via more traditional marketing forms such as magazines, outdoor ads, radio and television spots, or via online means such as websites and landing pages, whitepapers, podcasts, email campaigns, or articles and blog posts, content marketing is motivated by a desire to educate the customer and influence a positive decision about the brand behind the content.

Content marketing has tremendous potential benefits, including

• powerful lead generation
• positioning management as thought leaders in an industry
• better search engine ranking
• a shorter sales cycle (particularly if you are building an email list)
• content related to your brand is accessible around the globe
• your brand message is available 24/7

Consumers are very interested in custom content.

The results of a Custom Content Council/Roper poll about content marketing show a powerful willingness on the part of consumers to take in and be influenced by custom content. Some of the more stunning facts:

Two-thirds said they “appreciate companies providing custom content as a service to customers.”

More than three-quarters believe that companies providing custom content “are interested in building good relationships with customers.”

More than three-quarters said they “understand the company is selling something, but that’s fine as long as the information is valuable.”

Nearly three-quarters said they preferred to get information about a company in a collection of articles rather than an ad.

Main tenets of content marketing

There is no magic bullet in content marketing. Building a goals-based strategy takes time and is typically a team effort. Implementing your content-based strategy is best done over a period of months and years, and takes consistent work to maintain. However, there are several general guidelines that you can follow as you consider creating a solid conten-based marketing strategy for your business.

It’s simple to begin creating custom content. Creating great content can be as easy as hiring a great copywriter. You give them your keywords and target market, and your content generation machine is up and running.

The other half of the equation is distribution. The sheer variety of platforms available online can be overwhelming, so go where your target market lives, and begin establishing connections so that your content will be well-received.

Custom content doesn’t cost a lot. Rather than hiring a great writer, you may be a great writer. If you have the time to invest, you’re golden. Ad agencies don’t control brand development any more. You do.

Custom content has staying power. Even when you’re on vacation in Tahiti, your content is out there working on behalf of your business and brand. It may be signing people up for your list, selling your products, and growing your reputation. Even years after you’ve started your business, the content you put out there on day one is still working! How sweet is that?

The more you publish relevant, valuable content, the more credibility you build for your brand. The more your target market believes in your brand, the better your business will grow. Relevant, valuable content can be the foundation for a healthy relationship between you and your clients for years to come.