I could talk about Content Marketing for ages. Seriously, donât try me. As a former journalist, and all-time word-lover, Iâm a big advocate for all the great things that well-crafted content marketing can do for any business. So, bear with me and Iâll walk you through the reasons why I think all businesses should invest in.
And remember, if you need help with your Content marketing strategy, at MOGmedia weâd love to hear from you.
What is Content Marketing?
Content Marketing is one of the most effective ways to improve audience engagement, grow your brand presence and drive sales (and leads). The best companies out there are investing substantial parts of their budget in content marketing strategy and creation. And theyâre not doing this on a hunch. They do it because it works.
To keep it short, Content Marketing is about showing the world that youâre great at what you do. And to do that by creating content (written, images or video) that highlights every way in which youâre awesome and the best answer to your users and clientsâ needs. This includes all the content on your site, every single word thatâs in your blog, videos, and other types of content you put out there for your audience.
At MOGmedia we like to look at it as a key part of any successful Marketing Strategy. If you really want to shine, attract, and retain qualified users, then a content marketing strategy is vital.
Why is Content Marketing Important?
Content marketing is important for your business because it helps you:
- Answers your audienceâs questions
- Build trust
- Develop relationships
- Improve conversions
- Generate leads
You donât have to take our word for it. Plenty of stats and studies back us in the belief that consistent, high-quality, and engaging content is the best way to improve conversion in your business. So, here you have several key Content Marketing Stats:
- Content creation is a top priority for 80% of marketers, according to the State of Inbound report.
- Content Marketing accounts for 26% of B2B marketing budgets, according to the same State of Inbound report as above.
- Content marketing leaders experience 7.8x more site traffic than non-leaders, according to Neil Patel.
- Content marketing generates 3x more leads as traditional advertising methods, and costs 62% less, according to Content Marketing Institute.
- 6 out of 10 consumers check out a product after reading good content about it, according to Demand Metric.
- Companies that update their blogs regularly generate 55% more site visitors than others who donât. On top of that, they receive 97% more inbound links and 434% more indexed pages, according to data from IMPA
- Small businesses with blogs get 126% more leads than their peers without (data from Asset Digital)
- 6x higher conversion rates than other methods (data from Asset Digital).
With these numbers in mind, letâs move on to how Content Marketing can be beneficial for your business, and a few reasons why you should invest on it.
How can Content Marketing help your business? The 8 Benefits of Content Marketing
Iâll elaborate on the benefits of Content Marketing for any business below but, to sum it up, itâs a fantastic way of improving and increasing audience retention. But, at the same time, it does also help raise brand awareness by putting your brand in front of more potential clients/customers who are looking for exactly what you offer â and it will definitely improve your authority within your industry. Content Marketing has also been proved to increase lead generation and conversions and, who wouldnât want that? And, to top it all, content marketing is a fantastic way of getting you higher SERP rankings â something that has a knock-on effect on everything else.
Audience Retention
Itâs been proved that if you produce great content your audience will stick around longer. They will do that because youâll be creating the right kind of experience they want and need. And that way, theyâll keep coming back for more. While creating fabulous content takes time and effort, if youâre in the marketing game for the long run â as you should â it will totally be worth it. How else would you capture your audienceâs attention and showcase your brand in a positive (and useful) light?
Raise Brand Awareness
When you answer your audienceâs questions and meet their needs on a consistent basis, youâre being put in front of them every single time they need you. This means youâll be their top-of-mind choice, but also that they will recommend you to other potential users and clients. The best brands are those that manage to position themselves as the best choice out there for whatever they are making or selling â think about Apple with their iPhone or Tesla and electric vehicles.
Trust
Iâve seen that both on my blog, at my previous role as Skyscannerâs Content Manager and at MOGmedia with lots of clients. When you create content thatâs helpful, youâre building a relationship with your audience. Content Marketing is a wonderful platform for interaction and, above all, for showing you care and youâre there for them whenever they will need you. It may look like youâre giving away some of your knowledge for free. What youâre really doing is create value, and your audience are more likely to trust your advice and recommendations when youâve already proved useful to them.
Lead Generation and Increased conversions
Whoever thinks that content marketing doesnât generate leads is quite wrong. It has already been established by data that an audience that views and reads content is more likely to buy from you in the future. Being on their top of mind helps. But calls-to-action (CTAs) placed in your content play a part in generating new leads.
How?
Well, content is a fantastic way of guiding users to landing pages. First, you create and deliver great content, packed with all the information they seek. Then, you include CTAs within your content (in the text, on the side panel, at the bottom of the post). The more your content resonates with them, the more likely they will be to convert.
Industry authority
Who wouldnât want to be an authority in their industry? When you create great content that is relevant for your audience, youâre building your authority online. And the more established you are as an authority, the more likely you are to rank higher in Google or any other search engine.
When youâre an authority â and you demonstrate it consistently -, your audience will trust you more and view you as an expert. Itâs a lot of work, and it doesnât happen overnight, but if you persist in your content marketing efforts and hit all the right notes, then you will get there and reap the benefits of being a true authority in your niche.
Help with SEO rankings
Great content = amazing results in SERPS, right? Again, it may not be the fastest way of growing but the more high-quality content you create in a consistent basis, the better it will be for your SEO efforts. This means that if you create fantastic content that answers your audienceâs needs and you structure it in the right way â including internal backlinks -, youâre more likely to get to the top of results on search engines. And that, in turn, means that your business will be in front of more people, leading to newer audiences and helping you retain your current one. And it wonât hurt your efforts to become an industry leader.
Loyalty and Brand Advocates
If your content is great, your audience will rave about it. And when they rave about it, they are more likely to stay loyal and shout about you to friends, family, and everybody else. Thatâs how you turn customers into brand advocates. And a brand advocate is worth millions.
Cheaper than conventional marketing
We know full well that content marketing upfront costs can seem steep to most clients, especially those with tight budgets. And itâs true. Content creation is not cheap. Great writers are not cheap either. But itâs worth it. Weâve mentioned above that content marketing â aka inbound marketing â costs 62% less than traditional marketing strategies â aka outbound marketing like PPC or paid advertising.
In the long term, however, content marketing wins. You just have to stay focused, create content on a regular basis, and wait.
If you want to read more about the benefits of Content marketing, check out our guide on how to hire awesome writers.
Had you ever considered investing part of your resources in Content Marketing? Weâre always happy to chat anything content so send us an email or a message. We would love to help you grow your Content.
