Small business owners have a thousand and one priorities to juggle. Precisely why the formulation of an effective content marketing strategy typically takes a backseat. Research suggests that traditional paid advertising is becoming increasingly ineffective. Back in 2015, approximately 200 million web users had installed ad blocking software. By the end of 2017, this had increased to more than 615 million users. Or to put it another way, more than 10% of the entire online population worldwide now actively blocks marketing materials where possible.
In the meantime, 70% of consumers have stated that they would prefer to learn about a business through an article, rather than an ad. Put the pieces together and the value and importance of content marketing become clear.
So however small or new your business may be, here are six reasons why you need to think carefully about your content marketing strategy:
1. Smaller Investments, Stronger Returns
On average, content marketing attaches around 60% lower costs than traditional marketing methods. What’s more, an effective content marketing strategy can also generate 300% more leads than comparable conventional marketing. Hence, you’re looking at much more manageable initial costs for stronger returns.
2. The Art of Selling Without Selling
Content marketing provides businesses with the opportunity to promote themselves, without resorting to the hard-sell. Instead of trying to persuade your customers to buy whatever you’re selling, you instead become the clear authority in your niche. Useful information, engaging content, regular news updates and so on – all great for driving interest in your business, with no requirement for more direct marketing materials.
3. Greater Exposure and Sharing Potential
Word of mouth can be a powerful thing. Nevertheless, you need to do something out of the ordinary to persuade your customers to spread the word about whatever it is you do. When you produce premium content, the recipient is far more likely to share it with their own contacts. Imagery, infographics, video clips and tutorials all have the highest sharing potential.
4. A Sense of Trust and Authority
By producing and sharing engaging content, you demonstrate your commitment to more than just making money. You demonstrate to your audience that you’re an experienced and dedicated authority in your field, and can therefore be trusted. Along with capturing their initial interests, this is also important for nurturing loyalty.
5. Enhanced SEO Performance
An effective content marketing strategy naturally satisfies all key search engine indexation requirements. The more commitment you show to your content strategy, the faster you can expect to climb the rankings.
6. Make Your Voice Heard
Last but not least, a quality content marketing strategy gives your business the opportunity to make its unique voice heard. Content marketing is one of the few advanced business advancement strategies any entrepreneur can predominantly handle themselves. Remember that it is you the customer wants to hear from – not some phony voice you’ve created in a vain attempt to enhance your brand image. Authenticity is the key to authority – both of which could transform your performance.
For more information on extracting maximum value from your digital marketing spend, get in touch with the experts at Christian Michaels today.
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