What are the Benefits of Content Marketing?

In 1996, before the Internet was the ubiquitous labyrinth that it is today, Bill Gates said that “content is king” - a statement that remains, in many ways, true to this day. In this article, we’ll look at different types of content, why they’re important and how you can use them to influence customers at different stages of their decision making process.

Types of content:

There are many types of content that you can use to influence your customers, or potential customers, throughout their journey. Below are just a few that you can use in your sales efforts.

Blogs

Blogs are a staple of internet content, and allow you to communicate with your customers with timed or evergreen content. Blog posts are great for increasing your SEO by allowing you to target key questions or search terms that people are looking for, and add extra information and detail to products. They can even position you and your company as industry leaders by answering questions the internet has. 

Increasing your SEO is going to drive more customers to your site, and as long as the content you’ve created is valuable, structured properly, and intended to drive conversions, they can be a valuable tool in your set. 

Videos

Videos are everywhere now - they’re easy to make and easily accessed on any device. With viewers claiming that they retain 95% of a message when obtained in a video, it’s an area of content that all companies should be looking to leverage. Predictions are that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic, so it’s important that you’re not missing out on this share of the market.

Videos can take many forms; testimonials from existing customers, product how-to guides for those who have purchased already, or even just video advertising rather than plain text and images will all improve your chances of a sale or retaining a customer. 

Whitepapers

If you really want to position yourself and your brand as industry leaders, then a whitepaper can be just the tool that you need to achieve authority and instil confidence in your customers. Educating your audience about particular issues, areas of your expertise and promoting proper ways of working, learning or understanding can really position you ahead of the competition. 

Whitepapers aren’t just blog posts extended; they’re academic pieces of writing from a position of authority, so they will take more resources and expertise in creating them. However, with the right value embedded within them, you can be sure to appeal to a more engaged audience, who are deep in their research stage of decision making.

Memes

Stay with me on this one! Memes are a huge part of the language of the internet, with Hubspot research showing that 55% of 13-35-year olds are sending memes every week. If you’re trying to engage with an audience that fits into this demographic, then consider using this format, especially if you’re targeting social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram with your marketing.

How and when to use content marketing?

Content marketing has applications throughout the customer lifecycle, from awareness through consideration and into retention, and you should be aware of how each stage can be influenced by the content that you’re producing. 

Awareness

Making customers aware of your product via content is the first step in influencing them to purchase. The use of videos for adverts can be a great start, with placements in YouTube, display networks and social media - including the increasingly popular TikTok - can get you noticed across huge, targeted audiences. 

Blogs are also perfect for making customers aware of your product or service. If you structure your blog pieces correctly to answer questions like how to choose the right grout for tiles or what to look for in a marketing agency then you’re giving yourself more opportunity for your site to be organically found in searches. 

Consideration

Once you’ve made the customer aware of you and your product, you need to convince them why yours is the best product out there. This is where content like whitepapers can come into their own, showing your expertise and industry leadership and instilling confidence in your company. 

Alternatively, it might be a video that explains your brand and its values, helping customers to understand more about you and why they should purchase. Videos are great ways to tell a story, and with 54% of consumers wanting to see more videos from brands, and with only 32% of brands using video in their marketing,  this increasing demand is something that you can capitalise on. 

Retention

It’s important to keep your customers once you’ve got them; if you’ve convinced them to purchase from you then don’t let a competitor convince them in future. Supporting the post-sale process with things like how-to videos that show how to get the best from a product, or blog pieces with useful tips that keep them engaged with you and your brand, is the key to retaining your customers. Keep creating content that they want to see.

How-to guides can be useful in simpler forms also, not just video. Depending on your product, a simple to view PDF or infographic can really help customers to get the most from your products.

Emails are a great way of delivering content, especially if you’ve set up your automation properly and are targeting customers well (take a look here for some email marketing automation tips, by the way), which means they’re getting just the right content to keep them engaged. 

SilverDisc can help you out

There are plenty of ways in which you can increase your company's success with content marketing. Some of them are quick and easy, some will require more planning and cost, but a proper content marketing strategy can set you apart from your competition.

If you’re interested in working with us to help you with your content marketing, then contact us here and we’d love to support you in growing your business.