Content marketing has been in the industry for a long while now and each year more and more brands are devoting more resources to this platform. In a world where information can be easily accessed anytime, it’s important that the content you create is unique and targeted to your audience.
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) defines content marketing as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” Its sole purpose is to attract prospects and retain customers by curating valuable and brand-relevant content for your customers.
The Value of Content Marketing
According to the “2016 Benchmarking, Budgets, and Trends in North America,” an annual report released by the CMI, 88% of businesses use content marketing. The most successful of this lot allocates 42% of their total marketing budget to content marketing.
Not only that, the demand for content writers is on the rise. The report revealed that 76% of business-to-business (B2B) companies will create more content in 2016 than the previous year. Thus, the need for more content writers has increased significantly with writing being the top outsourced service in content marketing at 44% followed by design at 41%.
Creating relevant, unique, and high-quality content increases the value of your brand. It shows that you can offer something valuable to your customers other than your own products and service. It serves as a bridge between your company and your target market, making your brand more accessible and relatable.
The Importance of Content Marketing
Boosts Search Engine Optimization efforts
Research by the CMI revealed that 87% of businesses reported an improvement in their SEO rankings because of consistent and quality content. Producing unique and high-value content on your site can positively affect your ranking and SEO efforts. Content marketing helps a website build its rank organically for relevant search terms and keywords. Simply put—the better your ranking, the more chances of prospects finding your business.
Encourages engagement
Good content encourages people to engage with your brand by liking or sharing it. In fact, according to Curata, over 50% of brands that capitalize on content marketing saw an increase in customer engagement. To further increase it, remember to promote your content on social media, post it at the most optimal time, and make sharing easy.
Generates new leads
In a saturated market, high-quality content can increase brand awareness and credibility. This can potentially generate new leads and increase sales as more consumers are exposed to your brand. Curata reported that 74.2% of companies indicated that content marketing is increasing the quality and quantity of their leads. Content marketing means fostering relationships with customers such as relevant blogs, engaging infographics, and video tutorials rather than drowning them in product-related content.
Adds value to your brand
Value isn’t always tangible and measurable like sales and profit increase. Though it may not have immediate monetary value, quality content can strengthen your brand’s relationship with them by establishing yourself as a go-to source for helpful and reliable information. Good content can help your customers solve day-to-day problems or teach them something new. It affirms your authority in the industry and cements your brand positioning as well.
There is no fast formula when it comes to content marketing. It is challenging and time-consuming. It requires long-term commitment because you need consistency in producing new content. When executed well, it can take your business to new heights. Different marketing platforms may come and go but at the end of the day, content is still king.
If you are in need of content creators, feel free to contact us or avail of our 5-hour free trial.
Revisit the importance of content on our Content Marketing Series!
- Revisiting Content Marketing: Content is Still King
- 5 Ways to Create Compelling Content
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Have a Content Calendar
- 5 Common Content Marketing Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
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