Ten Reasons Why Content is the Key to a Robust Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is a powerful way to drive engagement and brand affinity. But how does content work? At its core, content is what drives the internet. With more than 2 billion websites on the internet, it’s hard not to find something interesting to read.

On average, people spend about 16 minutes a day reading news articles on their phones, and more than half of all Americans say they get news online at least once a week. That’s a lot of content being consumed by a lot of people.

But why do we go to such great lengths to write and consume content?

The answer is simple: We crave stories. Storytelling is part of the human experience, and stories are the most effective way to convey information. They’re what make us laugh, cry, or cringe. In fact, storytelling can even change how people think about brands and products.

With a holistic content strategy that blends paid, earned, and owned media together, you can focus on reaching people at every stage of their buying cycle – from awareness through advocacy – with personalized and relevant content to their unique needs.

To understand how content drives business outcomes, you have to understand what’s happening in the marketplace today. In an era when consumers have more control over their buying process than ever before, brands have had to shift from being product-focused to being customer-focused.

So what gives?

Why does content marketing work?

Achieving success with content marketing takes time, effort, and commitment. It requires you to create engaging content and distribute it through the right channels to attract your target audience.

You need to continually develop new content ideas, build relationships with influencers, promote your brand and engage with your audience.

But the results are worth it. Content marketing has been proven to drive more traffic to websites, generate leads, boost sales and improve customer retention.

Content works because it’s relevant to the customer’s journey and relevant to where they are in their journey. Every interaction or experience with your brand is a different point on that journey, so you need to make sure the content you’re delivering is relevant to each different experience and stage.

Here are the top 10 reasons content is essential for a robust marketing strategy.

Content works because it provides value.

People don’t want to be sold to all the time – they want to learn something valuable from brands they follow online. They come back for more when you provide them with something of value, like an informative blog or video.

Content works because it builds trust.

People buy from brands they trust – that’s why building trust is so important for business success today. Content enables you to demonstrate your expertise and build an emotional connection with your customers by showing them who you are and what you stand for as a brand. Once people begin to trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you in the future.

Increases conversion rates and sales

Good content can increase conversion rates and sales. However, studies have shown that the 80/20 rule holds true: 80% of people will read only 20% of your content. This means that your target audience is reading less than half of what you’re writing.

A well-written and organized content generated by a WordPress SEO expert can increase conversion rates by 4%. That’s a fairly significant bump because most people only open about 5% of the messages sent to them on social media sites — a fact marketers fail to take advantage of.

Content that engages a reader is more likely to lead to conversions than content that’s too subtle or passive. For example, a blog post about how much you love boots may not engage many readers, but an article about how your feet feel after wearing boots all day might inspire more readership.

Boosts brand awareness and visibility

Content can help educate customers about your products or industry to make better purchase decisions. For example, if you sell clothing, you could write something like “What to Wear with Sneakers” or “How to Buy a Suit.”

When you create high-quality, relevant content, people will read it, like it, share it, comment on it, and link to it. More importantly, they’ll remember who created it. That’s how content can boost brand awareness and visibility, which helps with lead generation.

Reduces marketing costs and increases ROI

Content marketing is an effective method to reduce marketing costs and increase ROI. It can attract more customers and build brand loyalty. A recent study revealed that content marketing generates three times as many leads as paid search advertising but costs 62% less.

Last year, the CMI reported that 93% of B2B marketers used content marketing in 2021. And their most recent study found that 91% of B2B marketers will continue to use content marketing in 2022.

Content Helps you have better social media traction

Content is the king of social media. Social media is just like a stage where you perform. If you don’t perform well, no one will see your face. It’s important to create engaging and relevant content for your audience to engage with you via social media.

Content is easily shareable on social channels, and people like sharing useful information with their friends, family, and colleagues! When you take in the fact that there are 2.34 billion active social media users worldwide, that is some opportunity!

Increases your credibility

Content is a marketing instrument that allows you to build relationships with your audience and convert them into paying customers. Why? Because original, quality content helps you gain authority in your niche and reach a wider audience. In essence, content helps you become a credible leader in your industry.

Content helps businesses get found online via SEO

Research has shown that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. What this means is that if you want to be found online, you have to fight your way onto the first page. And the best way to do this is with well-written, useful content.

Businesses that blog receive 55% more website visitors than those that don’t (HubSpot). That’s because each new blog post creates another opportunity for you to be found on Google and other search engines. Plus, every time you publish a new article, it gives people another reason to link back to your website (which helps boost your SEO even more).

Content helps you cultivate a loyal fans base.

If you want to connect with your customers and prospects in a meaningful way, content marketing is almost a guaranteed way to do it. Content, when done well, gives people something to talk about and share on social media. It also helps you build a following of loyal brand fans who will go out of their way to buy whatever you’re selling.

Whether it’s a tweet, a blog post, or a Facebook update, content helps you cultivate loyal brand fans. When you consistently share relevant, valuable information with your audience, they’ll start to view you as an expert in the industry. As you become this trusted source of information, your audience will be more likely to buy from your company when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Content also provides an incentive for people to subscribe to your blog. Once someone subscribes to your blog, they will get an email every time you publish a new blog post. When content is paired with email marketing, it becomes even more powerful.

Gets more customer referrals, testimonials, and reviews

Content marketing helps you get more customer referrals, testimonials, and reviews because your customers are so impressed with what you’ve done for them that they feel compelled to share it with others.

Customers love sharing things they’ve found valuable, so by providing helpful content, you can tap into a network of people who are ready and willing to spread the word about your business.

And if you don’t have any customer success stories yet (or even if you do), there’s also the opportunity for new customers to see what other people are saying about your company online. This social proof can be a great way to build trust with new prospects. Hire SEO consulting services today to create the best content strategy.

Bottom Line

Content isn’t just something you post on social media. It’s the cornerstone of your online presence, the glue that holds everything together.

Content is such a critical component of marketing because it fills the sales funnel. In other words, it’s what turns a cold lead into a warm one and then from a warm lead into a paying customer. Without good content, you cannot generate leads or nurture prospects into customers.

Content marketing is the art of creating and distributing valuable content for a purpose. Yes, content can be created for many different purposes, but all of those focus on only one thing: to keep people engaged with your brand.

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, it’s important to understand that consumers don’t want to be sold anything. They don’t want to be interrupted by advertisements or cold calls. They want to solve their problems and make their own decisions.

At its core, content is created to keep people interested in your brand. This interest almost always translates into a sale, which is why content works! For Free consultation Contact us now