INTRODUCTION
Content Marketing helps you attract and retain customers and includes creating, publishing, and distributing eye-catching content to your target audience. Unlike traditional advertising, Content Marketing does more than tell people your company is excellent at what it does. Instead, through websites, social media, blogs, videos, and other content, it demonstrates your business’ authority and expertise in front of your competitors by allowing you to show consumers who you are as a business and what your brand represents. At Estes Media, we provide content generation services and marketing strategies for different industries and all digital platforms. We know that an insane amount of content is created every single day around the world, and most of it gets very little attention. So in this article, we’re going to tell you how important it is to take the time to write well-researched content that can educate your readers and inspire them to take action.
TLDR SUMMARY
1. With so Much Competition Out There, Why Should Consumers Choose You?
2. Turn Readers Into Loyal Customers
3. How to Get Started With Content Marketing
4. Content Marketing is a Win-Win Marketing Strategy
1. With so Much Competition Out There, Why Should Consumers Choose You?
The quality of the content you publish is crucial. The best content promotes a consistent brand message and voice across every platform. It’s more than just name recognition; it’s how well consumers understand the qualities that make your brand stand out from your competition. Your brand’s content should focus on engaging, relevant, and valuable information about your company. Rather than selling your products, Content Marketing for brand awareness focuses on selling your values as a business. Content Marketing is vital for converting readers into customers, but it can take time to fully appreciate that one of the most critical roles content plays is to aid the customer journey by moving the reader from one stage of awareness to the next. Your business can use Content Marketing to drive brand awareness and build value for your product or services when someone is researching what to buy, build trust, attract leads, close sales, and retain customers. To use it effectively, you’ll need to deliver the right content at each stage of the customer value journey and consider how to improve the experience, from awareness to consideration and purchase. When your audience thinks of your company as a partner interested in their success and a valuable source of advice and guidance, they’re more likely to choose you when it’s time to buy — and they’re going to recommend your brand and speak about it to others. This is part of how name-brands position themselves successfully in the marketplace.
2. Turn Readers Into Loyal Customers
Let your business’s unique value shine through by creating content to drive awareness, attract attention, engage, and convert your audience. With some planning and systematic Content Marketing, you can reach the right people and inspire loyalty to your brand. Here are some examples of where to use Content Marketing to engage and sell:
Awareness Stage. At first, your content should focus on answering customer questions. Writing about what they are looking for gives you the best chance of engaging with them. Content at the Awareness Stage should be educational and how-to advice. Save your selling for the consideration and closing phases. This content can be articles, blog posts, newsletters, etc.
Consideration Stage. Content should offer a hybrid of helpful information, trust, and marketing advice. It should educate the reader about functions to look for and how features address the needs related to your business. This content can be case studies, checklists, and more.
Closing Stage. Content Marketing plays a fundamental role when it comes to buying. Finally, you can focus on sales as long as you continue to focus on telling people why your brand is the best choice rather than just how excellent your services or products are. Your central message should be your business’ expertise and the differentiating benefits of what you sell. This can be user-generated content, buyer’s guide, product video, etc.
3. How to Get Started With Content Marketing
While there will always be strategies that spike returns in the short term, Content Marketing positions your business and brand for long-term success. Take these 6 steps to get started creating the high-quality content that will take your business to the next level:
1 Identify your audience. To create content for your target reader, you need to get to know your customers by understanding their preferences. If you have detailed descriptions of your segments, choose one or two to write for. Otherwise, craft profiles of your audience members and potential customers before starting.
2 Choose the correct format. The right format corresponds with what stage of the sales cycle you’re creating content for. You have to consider what format will help showcase value. This will be a video for some brands and a newsletter.
3 Copywriting is key. Decide who will write, edit and proofread your content. Your audience will engage with your content on its quality. Identify the best resource to create this work.
4 Determine distribution. Will you post content on your site or email? Or both? Start with where you know your audience will likely be and choose formats that make sense for your business goals.
5 Follow a sustainable schedule. Once you know the target readers and the formats to use, create a short-term plan for a realistic number of content elements you can make based on your resources and budget. Keep track of how long it takes to create the content you need and use this data to be part of your schedule.
6 Apply the best practices. Although you’re writing to further your business, it’s important to remember that your first goal should be to educate, entertain and answer your readers’ questions so that you can sell your services and products.
4. Content Marketing is a Win-Win Marketing Strategy
There is no doubt that quality Content Marketing builds customer awareness, drives leads, and increases conversions. In an increasingly competitive digital world that is permanently changing, content has become a marketing strategy cornerstone you can’t avoid. Continuously using excellent Content Marketing establishes and nurtures relationships with prospective and existing customers. Build trust with your audience over time, create content strategically with a well-defined business purpose, and the business results will follow. To learn more about how Estes Media can help with your Content Marketing strategy, check out our blog posts and discover our best content creation services and case studies. Our writers specialize by industry, so you get excellent writing from someone who knows your business and customers at their best!
