5 advantages of Content Marketing

In two previous blog posts we discussed content marketing, what it is and tips on its successful implementation . To wrap this 3 part series on content marketing, here are five advantages it can bring to your brand’s marketing strategy.

1. More traffic to your company website– publishing content through a blog on your company’s website is a good way to create a consistent flow of traffic. Though persons will be visiting to read blog posts, the chances of them clicking through the other pages, becoming familiar with your brand, and utilizing your product/service is increased. According to inbound marketing software company, HubSpot, inbound marketers, such as those who use content marketing tactics on their websites, double their average site conversion rate from 6% to 12%.

2. Improved brand reputation– when persons engage with your content, they are building a connection with your brand. If they perceive your content as credible, interesting, or useful, the level of trustworthiness will be increased and they will think more highly of your brand. A big boost  to improving your brand’s reputation would be if your content is being widely shared on social media or being referenced. A 2015 IBM Digital Experience Survey showed that 56% of markers indicated that creating original content resulted in a higher engagement rate from consumers with their brand.

3. Costs less than other marketing strategies – content marketing is a long-lasting marketing strategy, but it does not take up as much of your marketing/advertising budget as other strategies. What content marketing costs is time and dedication to create valuable content that will make a worthwhile contribution to the conversations your customers are interested in. Due to the long term investment of content marketing, you may not immediately see the value to your brand, however through successful continuation the benefits will start to show. HubSpot noted that in 2015 content marketing generated 3 times as many leads as traditional marketing strategies, but cost 62% less.

4. Greater engagement with the audience– paid online ads have become increasingly popular, but so too have ad blockers. As a result, though companies are putting out more ads, consumers are finding more ways to avoid them. Thus, content marketing provides a viable alternative for your brand to engage with your consumers. Due to the nature of content, if it is engaging, informative, or adds to current discussions, customers are more likely to engage with it, more so than an ad.

5. It attracts new customers from unexpected places– One of the easiest ways for persons to get new information is to turn to a search engine (we live in age of Google). An effective way to amplify your brand’s presence on search engines is through your content. Find out what people are talking about and craft your content around it, or answer questions through your content. In so doing, when someone does a search for information on a topic, a blog post you have posted may be included in the search results, and by clicking on the blog post, which is hosted on your company’s website or posted by your company, they are being indirectly introduced to your brand.

Content marketing is good for any business. There is no such thing as a business that content marketing may not fit as it is one that can be employed by any business, in any industry. Of course, the type of content and the way it is shared will vary, but the underlying strategy has a universal approach and can be used by anyone.

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