The “content marketing” term has been around for decades but has gained more attention in recent years. Content marketing is simply a niche strategy in the broader realm of marketing.
Joe Pulizzi is thought of as a key figure in the content marketing industry. His book, published in 2009, was the first to bring attention to the concept. Entitled “Get Content, Get Customers: Turn Prospects into Buyers with Content Marketing,” it marked a significant milestone in the popularization of the “content marketing” term.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a specific content-forward approach to marketing that involves creating and sharing valuable content to engage and attract a specific audience. It aims to build trust, establish expertise, and drive profitable customer actions, ultimately contributing to a business’s growth and success.
I’ve made content marketing my niche form of marketing for several reasons. The most important one is that I love it. It speaks to me. There are no sleight-of-hand maneuvers involved. It is straightforward, authentic, and knowledge-based. It gives back to the consumer.
Traditional marketing typically involves pitching specific products or services in direct ways, such as cold calling, direct mail, sales promotions, and advertising. This speaks to some but less to me. I would even say that traditional marketing seems to be becoming less impactful in today’s digital climate. A smart business learns that solving problems for the consumer is the best way to establish credibility, trust, and, ultimately, long-lasting working relationships.
As a small business owner, you might ask yourself what problems you solve for your consumer. Really define that and amplify your message to your audience.
These days, consumers look for consistent, high-quality content from their preferred brands. Content marketing is about just that – delivering meaningful, brand-specific content consistently to create stronger connections with consumers.
Great content successfully expresses a brand’s authenticity. It resonates with the consumer and generates interest. A solid content marketing strategy is executed with precision and published to the digital platforms that your clients and prospects are most engaged in – websites, blogs, email marketing, podcasts, social media posts, stories, videos, etc. All of these content outlets cohesively form a strategy for brand messaging.
There are several benefits to content marketing. Here are three important ones:
Content Marketing Builds Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is the extent to which your audience is familiar with your brand’s product or services. You can visualize the customer journey with a pyramid. At the bottom is zero awareness, followed by recognition, brand recall, and, at the highest point, top of mind. Consistently providing content helps consumers keep your brand top of mind.
Remember that not everyone in your audience will need your products or services, but virtually anyone has the potential to become a great referral source. When you provide content, you are increasing the likelihood that your audience will refer you to another consumer if they learn that the consumer is in the market for the product or service you provide.
Content Marketing Creates Lead Generation
Lead generation is the process of generating consumer interest in your product or service to convert that interest into a sale. The lead generation approach to marketing targets the right consumers for your brand. It uses existing sales data to find prospects who have already shown interest in a business’s specific products or services. Lead generation identifies interest and then builds on it, leading the consumer through a buyer’s journey with tailored content.
Content marketing can help to generate leads by creating relevant content to draw in consumers looking to address a specific issue. This can be achieved with blogs, videos, eBooks, infographics, and other publications. One very effective means of lead generation is the use of hashtag strategy in social media.
Content Marketing Generates Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty happens not only when consumers continue to purchase from the same brand over time, but they share their enthusiasm for the brand with others.
Building brand loyalty is the ultimate goal for any business, and it takes time. Since consumers are more inclined to trust a brand if they view it as having industry expertise, your marketing content should demonstrate savvy and provide valuable answers to your audience’s questions. It should capture attention and continually reinforce a positive and distinct brand impression. Ultimately, it will position your business as a leading authority in your industry.
There’s a bonus to all this. Once your business is established as a credible place to get information, your website and Google Business Profile will likely rank higher in search engines, increasing cold contacts.
A Few More Thoughts on Content Marketing
Do market research or hire a professional content marketer to do it for you. Once you have identified your target audience’s needs and preferences, tailor your content to your ideal audience.
Be sure your content speaks to your buyers’ challenges and solves their problems. Identify what problems you solve and speak to that consistently in your content creation.
Establish Expertise
Become a leading authority by providing industry knowledge in either long-form (blogs, articles, videos, and newsletters) or short-form (social media posts, videos, and stories).
Create Authentic Content
Simply be who you are.
In a flooded marketplace, a smart brand differentiates itself from the competition with authentic content. Incorporate any elements unique to you and your viewpoint into your marketing. It will help your audience feel they know you a little more, and that comfort develops a following. A clearly identifiable personality and personal style are what will set your business apart from others.
Today’s sophisticated audiences know when content is disingenuous, superficial, or poorly messaged. Establishing an original brand voice is the most effective way to build trust. No one else can be exactly you when you are simply who you are.
Provide Content Consistently
Once you identify and establish your ideal audience profile, continue to provide the best-tailored content you can offer. Further, in the consumer journey, relationships are built, an audience is developed, and qualified leads are generated. Ultimately, if you’ve done everything right, generated leads turn into sales conversions.
How do I know it works? I have successfully implemented content marketing strategies with many clients.