Contently describes the process of content marketing as “The overarching practice of using information and entertainment to promote a brand or product.”

As part of their overall Internet marketing efforts, strategic digital marketers all need to understand the importance of content marketing. But, what is content marketing, why is it important and how do you get started?

What is Content Marketing?

Well, in a nutshell, content marketing is the process of continuously publishing content that people want, to help connect your brand to its audience. Content marketing is partly the result of our digital, social and mobile world where we now control the content we consume and share. While this practice has in fact been around for a long time, it is now becoming an effective way for brands to reach their audiences to get customers to know, like and trust you enough to buy from you.

Paul Roetzer, CEO of PR 20/20 further explains, “The new marketing imperative is to create more value, for more people, more often, so when it’s time for consumers to choose a product, service, or company, they choose yours. When done well, brand content answers questions, inspires, and motivates audiences to take action, helping companies stand out from the competition.”

So, content marketing entails creating and distributing relevant content to your target audience in an effort to create awareness and engage with prospective customers. Content enables brands to share information, contribute to the conversation, build trust and ultimately gain new leads. By doing so, marketers establish a relationship with these leads, which makes them more receptive to any subsequent marketing interactions.

Why is Content Marketing Important For Businesses?

The world has changed dramatically since we started carrying around all the information on the Internet. People now have all the resources that they need right at their fingertips and are using this information to make their own choices. Traditional marketing is not dead yet, but advertising does not work the way it used to because we have been conditioned to tune it out. So, enter content marketing. Brands now need a new way to connect with their audience and the approach that seems to be working is the continuous creation of content that people want. That’s content marketing.

This practice has become the most efficient and effective way for both large and small businesses alike to increase their online presence. Just having a website will not cut it anymore … content marketing gives you an avenue to drive people to your site. Remember, though, its not only about getting them to buy your product/service (though this is the ultimate goal); it’s about changing their views and behaviors regarding your company (branding).

Gone are the days of forcing a sale or product on someone. The power now lies in the hands of the consumer. In any industry, the best sales person is the one who convinces you that you need their product/service and has you asking for it, rather than them trying to force it upon you. You’ll walk away from a sale with them without ever having feeling as though they’ve been sold to, and that buying the product/service in the first place was completely their idea. Content marketing is the new way to ensure that this happens. This happens in a number of different ways:

1. It’s not about selling, so people typically let their guard down.
2. Content marketing pieces are helpful and informative. Readers are not faced with a page of jargon that isn’t relevant to them.
3. If the content is interesting and/or entertaining, people are more apt to share on their social networks and are more likely to be read than unsolicited sales messages.
4. Content marketing drives people back to your website where they find other shareable content.
5. With the right calls to action on your website, this increased traffic can be converted to increased sales/interest.
6. Content pieces can be used to update your website frequently which will ultimately have a positive effect on your search rankings. Google and other popular search engines also look to social signals people give off when reading your content.
7. The more people share your content, the more it’s validated in the search engines’ eyes as being high quality and relevant. Your rankings will increase as a result.
8. As well as being a powerful promotion as your brand as an authority in your industry, content marketing makes your website easier to find.
   
   

In the business world, relationships are built on trust. Content marketing is one way to build this trust as it creates a relationship between your customers and your business. When a relationship is created, the likelihood of the customer buying your company’s product/service increases substantially because they have built a certain level of trust with your brand. But it doesn’t stop there. This is also a great way for a company to keep an eye on customer reviews to ensure customer satisfaction. Through content marketing you are also giving your company a voice.

Here are some relevant statistics regarding content marketing:

1. 63% of companies have said that posting content on social media has increased marketing effectiveness.
2. 6 out of 10 Twitter and Facebook users are more likely to recommend a brand they follow.
3. Companies with blogs get 97% more inbound links.
4. 67% of Twitter users will buy from a brand they follow.
5. 55% of blogs on company sites result in 55% more visitors.
6. 70% of customers prefer getting to know a company via articles rather than advertising.
   
   

How Can a Brand Get Started with Content Marketing?

Brands should begin by trying to understand who they are trying to reach and how their brand can help that target audience. Notice I used the word “help.” As I mentioned, it’s not necessarily about selling … that will come later. Once you have figured out whom you are trying to reach, you should start to identify the questions your customers are asking, the content they typically consume and the places where they hang out online. Then, craft a content marketing strategy to meet those customers’ needs with content – delivered at regular intervals across many different channels (blog, social media etc…).

JJ DiGeronimo, president of Advancing Women in STEM adds, “There are just a few questions to ask when you are outlining a content marketing approach:

1. What problem are you solving?
2. Who are you solving it for (age, gender, background, experience, investments, interests)?
3. How does this type of person/audience want to receive information (white paper, blog, webinar, posts book, event)?
4. What access points (websites, social media pages, mobile apps) can you reach them?
5. Are there obvious partnerships you can create to access your preferred audience type/type of person?
6. What do you wan this type of person to do once they access/review your content?
   
   

The answers to these questions often drive the content type and distribution models for your content. The goal of the content is to engage a desired audience in ways they want to be accessed with the information they desire. The results can come in many forms: from a subscription, clicking a ‘like’ button or completing a transaction.”

So, when executed properly, a content-focused marketing approach can be very useful for your business. However, implementing a successful strategy requires a consistent approach, sufficient time, resources, commitment and the right people. Content marketing is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity in today’s consumer-centric marketplace.

Become an authority in your industry and establish trust and credibility with your prospective clients through content marketing!

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