We know that there are about 101 things you should be doing for your business, right? But how do you know which direction to focus your time, energy and budget? You can’t do ALL of them (believe us, it’s not the best use of your time and resources!).

So today we’ll cover one of the basics when it comes to marketing your business.

What is content marketing, and why is it important?

First of all, what is content marketing? Oxford Dictionary defines it as: “a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.”

So it is simply a form of content that you create and share with your audience, that is educational, provides value, but is not promotional.

Why is this important to your business? Content marketing is crucial because it answers your audience’s questions. It is essentially about them, not solely you or your business. It allows you to build trust with your audience and connect with your customers.  It’s the best way to turn your product or service, no matter how common, into something that is not like everyone else’s. This, in turn, will improve conversions, and generate leads.

Let’s dive into 10 reasons why content marketing is important for your business.

1. Create the Know-Like-Trust factor

First, your audience must get to know your brand, and like your brand, before they can trust you. By creating valuable content, it helps your business to build this relationship with your audience. You can first do this by answering questions from your customers and interacting with them so that they get to know you. When you create valuable content without expecting anything in return, your audience is going to be more inclined to like and trust your brand. It also helps to position you as an authority in your field. People trust experts and hire them to help solve problems.

2. Valuable content strengthens your customer relationships

Yes, content is a great way to generate new leads, but another great reason to create content is to build and strengthen relationships with your current customers! Did you know it can cost you 6x more to build a relationship with a new customer when compared to cultivating the loyalty of an existing customer?

Content marketing is your ticket to capturing your audience’s attention and continually reinforcing a positive brand impression, and keep them coming back for more.

3. Allows customers to share on social media

Consumers will share great content over social media, so by creating valuable content, you have the potential to amplify your reach through social media channels. Make your content work for you by making it as easily shareable as possible.

Ultimately, when your content shows up at the right place and the right time with the right audience, it'll improve your brand's reputation. The more quality content customers see, the more likely they are to have a positive association with your company.

4. Generate leads for your business

Content marketing enables strangers to find you through your useful and informative content. Most of the time this is before they are even ready to make a decision to buy. Meaning, your competition isn’t even in the picture. Use additional premium content on your site (like eBooks/guides/checklists) to draw them in even further. We need to generate leads in order to stay in business, and content marketing is the way to reach them. 

5. Improve conversions and ROI

High-quality, consistent content helps your audience connect with you and gives them the information they need to make an educated purchasing decision.

Customers are more likely to purchase from you once they've read your content.

In addition, your content should always include a call-to-action (CTA) and guide your reader on what they should do next.

Fun fact: While content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it can generate more than three times as many leads. So when you are looking to improve your ROI in the long run, content marketing is the strategy to turn to! 

6. Increase your SEO ranking

One of the best ways to bring organic traffic to your website is through great content. By producing quality, keyword optimised content, you are more likely to rank highly in customers search efforts through search engine optimisation (SEO). 

In addition, great content can help you build backlinks to your site, as other sites will want to link to yours in order to share what you have to say, and through this, help you build your organic audience even further. The real benefit is that this backlinking is one of the criteria the search engines use to rank your site.

7. Build brand authority and become an industry expert

By creating quality content online, you can build your authority in your audience's eyes. This goes back to the Know-Like-Trust factor. If you can show your new and existing customers that you are the expert in your field by providing knowledgeable content, you place yourself as the authority in your niche.

Consumers want to know that they are dealing with experts who know the ins and outs of the industry. Your content should demonstrate this and provide valuable answers to your audience's questions.

When it comes time to make a purchase, consumers will remember the brand that provided them with the information they needed to better understand their problems, solutions, and other options.

8. Set yourself apart from competitors

In the busy digital marketplace, it’s vital that your business sets itself apart from competitors. Content marketing is an effective way that small businesses can work to set themselves apart from others in the industry and show what makes their company special, by sharing their brand story. This is an essential part of building authentic relationships with your customers. 

The topics that you create content around and the value of the content can mean the difference between a consumer choosing your brand over a competitor’s. For instance, if a buyer is doing research about their challenges and certain products that can help solve those challenges, they will be more inclined to work with the business that’s provided them with helpful information.

9. Essential for every stage of a marketing funnel

Now let’s think about the importance of content marketing when it comes to your marketing funnel. There are three major areas of your marketing funnel that you need to think about while you’re developing your digital marketing campaigns. And content marketing plays a role during each stage of the funnel.

Here’s where content marketing comes in throughout the marketing funnel:

• Top-of-Funnel (TOF): At the top of the funnel, your prospective customers are just starting to become aware of their problems. They are also starting to become aware that there are solutions available. During this stage, content can help educate them and get them the information they need to decide which type of solution might help.

• Middle-of-Funnel (MOF): At the middle of the funnel, leads are evaluating their options for products or solutions. Content during this stage of the funnel is meant to educate leads on what their different options are so that they can start to narrow their choices and come closer to a final purchasing decision.

• Bottom-of-Funnel (BOF): Once leads reach the bottom of the funnel, this means that they are ready to convert. Content during this stage is meant to give a final nudge of encouragement to the buyer and empower them to make an informed purchasing decision.

10. Build a strong brand voice that is easily recognisable

Consider the role that content plays in helping you develop a brand personality and voice. Beyond just the type of content that you produce, you can also set yourself apart from the competition through your content’s language and the way that you present your information. Is your brand personality serious and professional? Fun and educational? Maybe a mix of both?

Determining how you want to portray your brand and developing a brand voice can help you create content that is unique to your business. This brand personality can help you connect with your target buyers and show them what makes your business special. One of the best ways to show this personality is through the marketing content that you create.

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Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to create a long-term marketing strategy, build awareness around your business and drive inbound leads. There will always be the “quick fixes”, tactics to produce short-lived spikes in traffic and leads - content marketing is beneficial for your business in the long run and will continue to work for you day in, day out. Whether you are a sole trader, SME or large corporation, content marketing should form the basis of any marketing strategy.

If you have any questions about how to develop a solid content marketing strategy for your brand, email us to find out how we can help.