Content marketing is a way of publishing digital content to attract customers who are searching for the products and services they provide. It can help to establish a company as an expert in a field, generate interest and awareness and help gain new customers as well as repeat businesses.
Here are five reasons you should be doing content marketing right away.
Content Drives Decisions
Clients no longer expect sales reps to make purchasing decisions for them. Instead, they look online and get feedback from others who’ve made similar purchases. This self-sufficiency makes a lot of “traditional” sales practices obsolete. Therefore, the online presence of your company is now more important than ever. The content they find under your company’s name will influence their opinion of your competence and professional abilities.
- 95% of B2B buyers are willing to consider vendor-related content as trustworthy.
- 51% more B2B buyers rely on content to make purchasing decisions than they did last year.
- 47% of B2B buyers consume 3 to 5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales person.
Content Lets You Control the Conversation
If someone Googles the name of your business, what do they find?
If you never publish any solid, informational content, they won’t see anything but customer reviews. And as we all know, many people like to use the Internet as a platform to complain. Far more people take the time to write a negative review – venting, as it were – than to come online to share a positive experience.
If you regularly publish content that fits your brand – be it professional, funny, youthful or whatever fits your brand – your online presence will be strong and positive, not just a random review or map location.
Present Your Company As the Solution
People go online looking for answers. When a business helps them find those answers, they automatically feel a sense of loyalty. Answering common questions establishes you as an expert in the field who understands what they’re going through. Even though it might feel like giving something away for free, it can create a level of trust and confidence in your business that no sales man could ever instill.
Content Marketing Works Better Than Traditional Marketing
Sure, buying advertising works for some businesses. But content marketing is both more affordable and more effective. Content shows who you are and what your place in the industry is. Ads just show that you could afford to buy advertising space. Many companies have found that their Internet presence is what directs most clients to their business, more so than online advertising or other traditional media advertising.
Your Competitors Are Already Doing Content Marketing
Regardless of the industry, a strong Internet presence is what sets the innovators apart from the stagnating companies. This year more than 75% of marketers increased their investments in content marketing. Basically, the better content you publish, the more customers and revenue you will generate. It’s that simple. Start today.