Content marketing = An inexpensive investment for long term customer relations

According to CMI,

While content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it generates more than three times as many leads;

Content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders;

The majority (88%) of B2B marketers use content marketing in their marketing strategies.

The above statistics clearly show that content marketing is a ‘must’ to stay in the public eye. It is the oxygen of today’s business world. Yet, content marketing is a technique of winning customers & their long lived trust. It is a long term yet inexpensive investment to retain your audience.

Today’s blog covers:

How is content marketing different from sheer marketing?

How does it impact your business?

How was content effective for recruiting 30 employees in a year?

How is content marketing different from sheer marketing?

Just as Content, your Customer too is a King. But, the key to customer growth & retention is content – which doesn’t merely promote but builds a rapport with them. Let us see how it works so.

Ms. Julia Mccoy, CEO, Express Writers has written that, ‘Content marketing generates 3x as many leads as its more traditional counterpart, outbound marketing, but costs more than 50% less…But you cannot force your services and products on your tribe once you’ve found them. You’ve got to work at building relationships, one solid piece of content at a time.’

While, Elaine Ip, Content Marketing Specialist at Marketo expressed that ‘Blogs are a great way for individuals to establish themselves as thought leaders, build their portfolio, grow their network, and gain visibility as they help accomplish your company’s goals… publish content on topics that your readers are interested in reading and also support your business goals.’

So, Content Marketing is all about educating & communicating with your customers instead of forcing them to buy something. As marketers and entrepreneurs you need to invest your time, skills & efforts for building long term, robust relations with your audience. The end result would be an interested rather than a frustrated customer.

How does it impact your business?

According to CMI, ‘200 million people now use ad blockers…luckily, there’s a way to continue marketing efforts without being blocked by the people you’re trying to reach. The secret is content.’  Further, it states that, ‘Content marketing drives higher conversion rates…email is personalized, targeted, and delivered directly to a customer’s inbox, it’s a wonderful (and inexpensive) way for marketers to gain an in to their customers.’

Also, CMI highlights that, ‘73% of major organizations hire someone to manage their content marketing strategy…Adding this role helps the company ensure that it is allocating resources correctly and communicating with its customers in the most targeted and effective way possible.’

Such an informative approach would go a long way towards influencing your business. Though it 

wouldn’t pay you initially in currency, content will pay off in terms of the most priceless audience. Now, let us move on to find how an effective content paid off a company with 30 employees.

How was content effective for recruiting 30 employees in a year?

Kelsey Meyer, President, Influence & Co., a content marketing firm has written an article called, ‘How We Used Content to Hire 30 People in One Year.’ Influence & Co. helps companies showcase their expertise through thought leadership. Ms. Meyer says in the article that, ‘Our content marketing agency has hired 30 people in the last 12 months. Our secret weapon? You guessed it: content.’ Further, she specifies that, ‘…future employees want to know that the team they’re about to sign on with is credible, innovative, and ultimately worth committing their talents to — and when it’s done right, your content can show them that.’

The role of content becomes more instrumental as it showcases the domain expertise of the company in the above case. Also, the blog which was powered by insights of the company’s director helped educate its prospective employees. Ms. Meyer has also mentioned that, ‘If you want the highest number of content marketers to hear about your company, publishing to online publications is a great way to broaden your network of targeted candidates… traditional career sites and job boards are great for casting a wide net, they may not yield as highly targeted results as an article in a publication read religiously by your ideal hire.’

Thus, content marketing is the ultimate & inexpensive tool which can help you win long term business relations. But, the only trick is to inform, educate and communicate your purpose to the audience. Such an approach will earn thousands of qualitative people who will convert into customers.

Remember – A piece of content without marketing intent!

Market your Content, Market Yourself!!

Hello everyone once again!! You read about content marketing as an overall concept in my previous blog. Now, let me be specific and tell why you should opt for content marketing? Sounds logical & helpful? Read on, to find more in store, my digital buddies!!

As you must have noticed, I said in my previous blog, ‘Content Marketing is the etiquette of gracefully presenting ones products and services without directly marketing them…A Content Marketing Strategy is a mouthpiece of the marketer and guide of the buyer.’ So, you need to do just that. So, let us get started…

Types of content: The realm of content spreads across the landing pages, email marketing, blogs, LinkedIn profiles, newsletters, product reviews etc. Amidst such an enormous Content Pool, won’t you aspire to rank as the topmost among industry players through content marketing? Of course, you will say a big ‘YES.’ Am I right? So, let us know more from Mr. O who recently opted for marketing his content.

Mr. O is a start-up entrepreneur who has a business of food products. His business took off well in the first year. Till then he only had flyer to promote his business which was distributed at different locations like exhibitions, food fests, his neighbourhood etc. Later, he started his website too to attract customers. Even after a year of such marketing, the number of clients was the same. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then, he asked one of his friends, who was a Content Marketer. She suggested him to rework the entire content.

What do you think she must have done? First of all, she identified the SEO terms which were specific for the food industry. She optimized the content (Flyer, website) with industry terms so that it was found on Google through relevant search terms. Her crisp, relevant, concise words were just enough to present the brand image of Mr. O in an innovative way. Then, during the next annual food fest, Mr. O distributed a brand new flyer & launched an enticing web content. It attracted buyers with a simple yet professional & winning content.

So, are you ready to boost your brand image with the magic of a few yet impressive words? Then, here am I to help you. Because, the content rules today’s market even before price. Have you ever observed a drop in sales without it being published in digital or print media? No. First, we read it and then decide our purchases, right?

Then, why not try out my #Contentwriting, #Copywriting, #Blogging services for your business, professional initiatives. No matter who you are…may be a start-up or established business group, solopreneur, individual or organization, NGO or Educational Institute or any entity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. I’m here to help you out. I will write winning & exemplary content for your social media, direct response mails, landing pages, online marketing, websites, brochures, resumes, blogs, articles, LinkedIn profiles, press releases, e newsletters, ad copies, video scripts & much more.

Call me on +91 – 9226578517/ +91 – 9619852133 or just drop an email on tipnis.sneha@gmail.com.

Hang on to read a new article so that I can help you more and more every week. Please share your comments, suggestions for any new topics, questions or any help about content…

Thank you.

Content Marketing - The new currency of digital marketplace

According to Forbes –

The most sophisticated B2B marketers spend 46% of their marketing budget on content marketing;

76% of marketers expect to produce more content in 2016 &

72% of B2B marketers cite creating engaging content as their top priority.

Simplilearn states a proven statistical data that, ‘An effective marketing content contributes to three times more leads than other modes’.

By now, you must have got a hang of the impact and importance of Content Marketing in today’s digital world. Undoubtedly, content is the new currency. Everything becomes saleable only through its respective content. Almost every product right from apparel to home appliances is first marketed through its content. Nowadays, the buyers are more cautious and they buy after a thorough online research. Content is the only factor which guides and influences them. Thus, content drives the digital marketplace.

So, let us dive more deeply into the realm of content marketing. What is Content Marketing? The CMI (Content Marketing Institute) defines it 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.’

Marketo has stated Content Marketing as, ‘…the process of creating high-quality, valuable content to attract, inform, and engage an audience, while also promoting the brand itself. Buyers and consumers are already searching the web for answers that your brand is uniquely positioned to offer.’ Further it states that, ‘Content marketing is the savvy marketer’s response to the new, relationship-based, buyer-driven, digital marketplace.’

Why is it important?

Content rules the marketplace before anything else. You must be thinking, why is it so important? Let us understand it. In an innovation and development driven, digital marketplace, the customer, brand image, leads, brand loyalty have the topmost priority. The phenomenon of Content Marketing caters to your priority. For example, CMI states that it optimizes brand awareness, lead conversion & nurturing, customer conversion, customer service, retention/ loyalty etc.  

Content Marketing leads the buying campaigns of buyers with product reviews and landing pages. It informs the buyers about the product as a whole. It is a process through which the customer is guided in the long way. It enables the buyer to build trust about the product before actually buying it. Thus, Content Marketing is the etiquette of gracefully presenting ones products and services without directly marketing them.

For whom is it important?

Marketo states that, ‘The strength of a good content marketing strategy is in providing the information and answers that your target audience is looking for…Make sure you’re creating content for the user, but that search engines will also favor.’ Also, it mentions that, ‘A robust content marketing strategy will help your brand connect and engage with your audience at every stage of the buying cycle.’

So, it is clear that the Content Marketing as a concept is equally meant for both the buyers and the marketers. If the marketers implement the Content Marketing Strategy, then the buyers will be familiarized about the products and services. A Content Marketing Strategy is a mouthpiece of the marketer and guide of the buyer.

To sum up, just quickly watch this video by Interact Media about content marketing. Get to know, how content marketing helps you get more leads, sales and makes you an authority in your profession!!

So, all set to dive in to content marketing? Carve a strong, digital footprint in your very own digital marketplace? Read on for more hacks coming your way in upcoming weeks!!

Happy Content Marketing!