Content Marketing Series: Why Your Business Needs Content Marketing
The internet is a noisy place, making it harder and harder for brands to stand out. In a world where digital technology rules, anyone can start and grow a business online, but brands need a way to be seen and heard. One way to do this (and win) is with content marketing.
Content Marketing Is More Important Than Ever
Businesses large and small have used content marketing as a way to get attention in a crowded market since 1994. If you’re a business selling to other businesses, over 90% of your competitors are using content as a part of their marketing mix.
What’s more, research shows that 66% of your competitors who are already doing content marketing plan to spend more on it in 2022. Why? Because content marketing is a proven approach to help companies differentiate themselves, attract leads, engage with customers, and create a stronger brand.
So, if most people are already doing it, why write about it? Because content marketing is often not done well. How do we know that? Nielsen Normal Group shares that only about 20% of your content gets read, with only about 16% of users reading it word for word. What’s more, a measly 11% of businesses that have a content strategy are confident that it’s an excellent one.
The remedy, of course, is to learn how to do content marketing right. This article is a great place to start if you’re just beginning. And if you’ve already implemented some content marketing elements, keep reading this series for even more relevant insights to come.
Here’s your rapid-fire guide to ‘why content marketing?’ and what it means for your business.
What Is Content Marketing?
At Prime 8 we see content marketing as the development and distribution of helpful, relevant content intended to improve brand awareness, generate leads, and credentialize a company’s capabilities.
Content can take many forms, including but not limited to:
Articles
Infographics
Customer stories
White papers
Social media posts
Email newsletters
Videos
Podcasts
Press releases
Apps
Print publications
Landing pages
Memes
You can probably add to this list. The basic idea is to create content that engages, attracts, and resonates with your target audience. This engagement can lead to increased sales, lead generation, brand awareness, and a stronger online presence.
Is Content Marketing the Same as Digital Marketing?
Not all digital marketing is content marketing. Likewise, not all content marketing is digital marketing. A more accurate representation is to consider content marketing a slice of the larger digital marketing pie — a slice that can also fit into an offline marketing pie.
There is some interdependency between the two. Many of the moving parts in a digital marketing strategy depend on content. For example, if you’re running a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign on Google, you will need to direct your audience to a landing page or website.
Digital marketing can take many forms, including affiliate marketing, email marketing, PPC ads, and social media marketing. Many of these include content in some way, but content isn’t the only focus.
One way to differentiate the two is by purpose. In a digital marketing campaign, the goal is usually to increase conversions. It has a specific start and end and is clearly designed for a certain audience or goal.
Content marketing can flex. It can drive conversions, but that’s not its only purpose. It’s also designed to engage, enhance audience relationships, grow brand awareness, and build trust by demonstrating your capabilities or thought leadership.
At Prime 8 we use a content model that aligns to the buying journey. Different types of content (see list above) support the needs of customers at different stages of their decision-making. Customers who are just beginning to have an awareness of who we are have very different needs than customers who are getting close to the cash register. A holistic strateg and well written, well messaged content supports customers as they move through the buying process. By engaging with potential customers wherever they are, you can make stronger connections and show them why your brand should be on their radar.
What Is the Purpose of Content Marketing for Businesses?
To understand the business impact of content marketing, look no further than its definition:
“...a strategic approach to creating and distributing content to a defined target audience with the intent to improve a brand’s awareness, sales, and sentiment.”
Content marketing allows you to make authentic connections with your audience. You’re showcasing a more human side of your company beyond products and sales pitches. You’re connecting with audiences wherever they are in the buying journey by answering their questions and helping them see potential and value in what you offer.
While most digital marketing is geared toward conversions, content strategy is about building relationships. Eventually, those relationships will lead to conversions, but its main purpose is to help you differentiate your brand.
What Are the Benefits of Content Marketing?
Your content strategy can support your business in a number of ways. Let’s look at five key benefits of content marketing and why they matter.
Content marketing can help your business:
1. Build Industry Authority
Think about the leaders in your industry, the ones that are always getting published or mentioned in the media. They’re experts not because they know more than you but because they’re good at marketing themselves.
In fact, they might not know any more than you do about your industry. But the content they’ve created has helped them to earn credibility among their peers and publications online. People trust them because they’ve created a platform online where they can share their ideas and expertise.
You can put this same strategy to work for your own brand and company. Creating content can help you build your authority and show people why they should trust you.
2. Increase Search Engine Rankings
Creating original content supports your SEO efforts. The more quality content you produce and the more consistent you are, the better chance you have of ranking for relevant keywords. SEO and keyword ranking are all important for driving eyeballs to your website – one of the first steps in building awareness about your company.
3. Expand Your Reach
Digital content is easy to share online, especially on social media. Users can like, comment, and share the content they enjoy with others in seconds. This helps you to get your content and brand in front of more eyeballs and grow your brand awareness.
4. Provide Value to Your Customers
Content marketing educates your audience. If content provides value - solves a problem, answers questions, entertains — customers and prospects will keep coming back for more.
5. Save Money on Digital Marketing
Content marketing can get pricey when looking at the costs of content creation in isolation. Tack on costs related to digital ads, distribution, and hosting, and your budget can quickly disappear.
However, content marketing has a longer shelf life compared to the average digital marketing campaign, especially content that gets shared on social media. Unlike paid ads, content can be repurposed and recycled, working for you to deliver ongoing ROI, thereby reducing your overall marketing costs.
How Prime 8 Marketing Consultants Can Improve Your Content Marketing
Content for the sake of content isn’t enough to thrive in today’s competitive content marketing arena. Prime 8 digital marketing consultants can help you avoid this common trap by helping you build a strategy for success and helping you execute it.
Prime 8 helps you get more for your content marketing investments by working with you on content strategy development, audience analysis, and finding the best outlets for your content. If you’d like to explore how we can help, reach out to us. If you’d like to explore consulting as a career, check out working with Prime 8 to learn more.
This article is part of our content marketing series. Stay tuned for part 2, Defining Your Goals and Audience.
