Why is Content Marketing Important?

Content marketing is a proven, must-have strategy that also provides a competitive advantage. Find out what the data says about content marketing:

Businesses with a blog get 67% more leads than other businesses.
67% of B2B marketers say content marketing increases engagement and the number of leads they generate.
88% of people say brand videos have convinced them to buy a product or service.

Content marketing benefits businesses in many ways. When done right, an effective content marketing strategy can:

Increase online visibility . A content strategy can help you attract more customers and visitors to your website, especially since people are constantly looking for solutions to their problems. Offering educational and informative content on a topic that interests them can help you increase the online visibility of your website or social media accounts.

Generate more leads . By using content marketing to generate traffic, you can increase your lead generation. Since educating customers builds trust in you and helps them feel more comfortable buying from your business, marketing content helps you generate more leads and develop relationships with potential buyers.

Build loyalty . Loyalty is essential in the world of marketing and business because the more loyal your customers are, the more repeat purchases they will make. Providing content that informs consumers can help them trust your brand and see you as a thought leader.

Improve authority . Content development is great for establishing your authority and becoming a thought leader in your industry. Not only does content help you build trust, it can also position your brand as the authoritative brand on a particular topic.

What is Content?

Content marketing refers to the development and distribution of relevant and useful content, such as blogs, newsletters, white papers, social media posts, emails, videos, etc., to current and potential customers.

When done well, this content conveys expertise and makes it clear that a company values the people they sell to.

Consistent use of content marketing builds and fosters relationships with your prospects and existing customers.

If your audience sees your company as a partner in their success and a valuable source of advice and recommendations, they will be more likely to choose you when the time comes to buy

How Content Marketing Works

Your business can use content marketing to attract leads, make a case for your product or service when someone is searching for an item to purchase, and close the sale.

To use it effectively, you’ll need to deliver the right content at every stage of the sales cycle, from awareness to purchase to purchase decision. If that sounds complicated, don’t worry: this approach to content actually simplifies the process.

Here's how businesses are using content marketing at every stage of the sales cycle to engage and sell.

Notoriety Phase

Reflection Phase

In the first phase of the sales process, your content should focus on your audience’s top concerns. By choosing content that speaks to their problems, challenges, and questions, you’ll be more likely to get them to engage.

In the awareness phase, your content should be educational and offer advice. Save the sale for the consideration and closing phases.

The best content for this phase is: articles, blog posts, e-books, videos, and newsletters.

Reflection Phase

In the consideration stage, content should offer a combination of useful information and marketing. It should inform the reader about what features or functions to look for and how various features meet their needs. Your content should naturally be geared toward what your business offers.

The best content for this phase is: case studies, how-to articles, how-to videos, and checklists/worksheets.

Closing Phase

Reflection Phase

Closing Phase

Content marketing plays an important role when a prospect is about to buy. During this phase, you can focus on sales, as long as you continue to convey why you are the ideal choice, not just how great your services and products are.

Your central message here should be your expertise, knowledge and the unique benefits of the products you offer.

The best content for this phase is: Case studies, user-generated content, buying guide, product video, research report

How to Get Started with Content Marketing

Identify Your Audience

To create content for a specific reader, you need to have a clear idea of their priorities, challenges, and preferences. If you have detailed descriptions of your different segments, choose 1 or 2 to write for. Otherwise, develop profiles of your audience members and prospects before you begin.

Determine the Appropriate Formats

The right format will depend on the phase of the sales cycle you’re creating content for. Another important consideration is choosing formats that will help you showcase your products. For some, it might be a video; for others, it might be a checklist.

An audience will judge your content on its quality, and that’s okay. Identify the right resources, internal or external, to complete this task. Regardless of who is in charge, hire a professional proofreader to review all content before publishing.

How Will You Distribute Yours?

Are you going to publish content on your website, send it via email, or print it for an event? Start with “where”—where you know your audience is likely to be —and choose formats that make sense.

For example, it makes sense to send an article via email, post a checklist or spreadsheet on social media, or offer a buyer’s guide as a follow-up after a launch.

Choose a Realistic Schedule

Once you know who your target readers are and what formats are best for each stage of the sales cycle, create a short-term plan (3-6 months). It’s common to create a content marketing plan that’s too ambitious.

However, the plan you create should include content pieces that you can realistically create based on your budget and resources. Write down how much time it will take you to create each piece of content so you can build that time into your schedule.

Follow Best Practices

Impactful content is written in a clear, jargon-free manner that only you and your peers will know. It should also include detailed practical advice. An ideal piece of content is short, to the point, and actionable.

Content Marketing & SEO

Content marketing makes it easy for the right prospects to find your business. However, your efforts can be supported by SEO.

Here are some important best practices to follow:

Keywords are the foundation of your SEO efforts. These important words and phrases are the terms a prospect types into a search engine when looking for a business, product, or service.

By including the right keywords in your content, you can attract more traffic . The best keywords have the following characteristics:

Plain language: Language your audience uses to describe their challenges and needs
Relevant: Words that match the expertise, products and services you offer
Specific: A combination of your niche, industry expertise, prospect pain points, and other relevant information

SEO has evolved: Search success depends in part on how well your content fulfils its purpose. Search engines check the content copy, assess its relevance, and determine how well it matches the promise of the headline.

Because of the importance search engines place on text, it is essential to use keywords throughout your content. Follow these guidelines:

Focus on 1-2 keywords. Avoid keyword overload by writing about topics that interest your potential customers and focusing on just a few keywords.
Use keywords in the title. Make the topic of the article clear and explicit.
Use keywords everywhere. Find a way to naturally integrate your keywords into your content.
Don’t deviate from the topic. Good quality content that provides advice related to the title will perform better.

Content Marketing & Social Media

Once you have your content, it’s time to get it out there. Social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more, is an easy and effective way to promote your content. You write a post and link it to your content, and voila! People are engaged.

You can do this by following these 3 steps:

Focus on high-potential channels. The best social networks for you are the ones that are frequented by your audience. Consider both large and popular channels, as well as smaller, industry-focused ones that are likely to connect you with good prospects. Ask your audience what their favorite channels are and create a manageable list based on their preferences.
Tailor your copy to the channel. Each social network has its own style and level of professionalism. Before you write posts on a channel, spend some time reviewing posts to familiarize yourself with these details. Then, bring your company’s spirit to your messages.
Test and tweak your approach. Effective social media promotion involves trial and error. Track responses across channels in terms of quantity and quality. A small number of high-potential engagements may mean a channel is a good fit, while a large number of clicks may never convert into an audience.

Why is Content Marketing Important?

What is Content?

Do you Need Help Creating your Content?

How Content Marketing Works

Notoriety Phase

Reflection Phase

Reflection Phase

Reflection Phase

Reflection Phase

Reflection Phase

Closing Phase

Reflection Phase

Closing Phase

How to Get Started with Content Marketing

Identify Your Audience

Determine the Appropriate Formats

How Will You Distribute Yours?

Choose a Realistic Schedule

Follow Best Practices

Content Marketing & SEO

Content Marketing & Social Media

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