Content marketing has become one of the most effective and popular strategies for marketers and small business owners to elevate their brand and drive more business. In fact, 60% of marketers say that they create at least one piece of content each day.
With a solid content strategy, you’ll be able to rank higher in search engine results, increase lead generation opportunities, and build stronger relationships with prospective and current customers.
Good content marketing has benefits for both your business and your customers. Here are three reasons why you should implement a content strategy today.
Rank Higher in Search Engines
When buyers start looking for a new product, whether it’s for business or personal purposes, they typically begin with online research. For most people, that typically means using a search engine, like Google or Bing.
When they search for keywords related to your product or service, you want to make sure that your brand appears in the results. This is called search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing is the best way to ensure this happens organically.
To achieve this visibility for your brand, you’ll need to create keyword-rich content (like blogs and webpages) for your website. For example, if you’re running a hotel in Nashville, you could write a blog post about “top places to visit in Nashville.” This could catch the attention of anyone researching a trip to your city and encourage them to learn about your hotel.
Increase Brand Trust and Build Long-Term Relationships
People want to buy from companies who they perceive as genuine. Good content shows your target buyers that you understand their needs and challenges and want to support them.
Let’s consider the Nashville hotel example. Producing content that’s not overtly sales-oriented (but still relevant) will demonstrate that you’re willing to help without forcing your product or service onto your audience. Once you’ve gained their trust, you can provide content that’s more directly related to your company’s offering.
When audiences read your blogs and other content, they’ll consider you as a resource they can depend on for helpful information, which could eventually turn into a business relationship. And if your prospective customers view you as trustworthy, they’re more likely to keep doing business with you.
Drive More Qualified Leads
Content marketing gives you the opportunity to provide useful information for your target buyers. Once you’ve established a good level of trust with them (through helpful, original content), you can turn them into a lead for your business.
In exchange for a longer or more in-depth piece of content, you can ask for their contact information. When they’re provided their email address, it’s your job to continue serving them relevant content and determine if they’re a good fit for your product or service.
No matter what type of company you have, content marketing is an effective strategy and can provide endless business benefits. If you’re ready to start creating stellar content for your prospective and existing customers, schedule a time to chat with us today.
