Content Marketing

Content marketing is the creation and distribution of industry-specific content free of charge. The main goal of content marketing is to keep your current clients engaged and get your potential clients excited about what your company offers. A piece of content does one of two things; it either entertains your readers or solves a particular problem. However, just because you offer free content doesn’t mean you should ignore your audience’s needs. Building content around the needs of your audience allows you to build rapport regularly. Engaging current customers with relevant content will keep them engaged. A customer already sold on your business is less likely to switch brands unless something drastically changes their opinion. But a prospective customer, who has not heard of your brand, will need some convincing.

Not all content is equal in the eyes of the customer. Content needs to either solve a specific problem or be entertaining. Unless it serves one of the two needs, the content loses its value for the customer. If a customer places a high value on your content, it becomes easier for you to sell your services. On the flip side, if the customer doesn’t value your content, they will be less interested in your products and services. Good content is engaging and provides high value to the customer. It helps create an environment of trust between the business and the customer. The next time you launch a new service, the customer won’t think twice before scheduling a consultation.

We know what you are thinking, “If I’m offering content for free, then what’s in it for me?” Many businesses neglect content marketing because the thought of offering something for free is unfathomable. If you look beyond the difficulty of creating quality content regularly, you will understand why content marketing is essential.

• Building trust – You don’t need us to tell you that most people are cautious about spending their money. Most people do proper research on services and evaluate the available alternatives before considering a purchase. Increasing consumer awareness means that people are less likely to spend their hard-earned cash on a brand they have not heard of. By offering free content that solves a problem or entertains your readers, you establish yourself as a subject expert. Nobody wants to buy from a business that has little to no idea about its services. To sell your business to prospective customers, you need to establish yourself as an industry authority. Authority arises from posting quality content over a sustained period. But flex too much, and your customers will start thinking that you are conceited. The goal here is to be a likable expert. The more you know about the services you are selling, the easier it is for your readers to trust you. In the long run, trust makes it easier for prospective customers to switch to your brand and for the existing customers to remain brand loyal.
• It goes beyond the SEO – The main goal of any SEO campaign is to ensure that your business appears at the top of organic search results for relevant search queries. However, just because your business appears on the first page of Google results does not mean you are entitled to the customer’s attention. SEO is about convincing search engine algorithms that your business is the most relevant result for the services you offer. Convincing your website visitors is a whole different ball game. Customers usually scan through the search results looking for familiar names or keywords to determine if the organic results are trustworthy. A customer is more likely to click through if a brand they follow appears in the organic search results. Combining a quality content marketing strategy with the best SEO practices will help you persuade both search engines and prospective customers.

Blogging from your website with informative and helpful posts is an excellent way of generating linkable content for your website. As a bonus, your audience can comment and share the content, which helps your brand gain social media shares and brand mentions.

With a continuous flow of informative blogs that talk about different topics related to your business, you can build a reputation of expertise among the regular visitors that religiously come to you for updates and information. Consequently, improvement in the shares, mentions, and credibility of the website ultimately boosts its SERP rankings.