Why Should I Use Content Marketing? Small Business Marketing

Marketing sure isn’t what it used to be. With the advent of social media, SEO, and a host of other online tools, marketing is taking a path that marketers of 20 years ago would have never dreamed of. Content marketing has taken the marketing world by storm and continues to grow as a top marketing tool. But, you may be wondering, “Why should I use content marketing?”

There are many reasons including: To gain visibility and be relevant in today’s consumer culture, businesses need to utilize content marketing as one of their top marketing techniques.

What is Content Marketing?

This strategy consists of crafting various forms of content in order to garner leads, build strong connections, become visible, and foster engagement. There are many platforms that are used in content marketing, some of the most popular being social media, articles, and blogs.

In contrast to paid advertisement where the goal is immediate conversion, content marketing seeks to provide substance to the consumer, offering something valuable, building relationships, and gaining trust.

With the ever-evolving tools and technologies in the world, this marketing strategy continues to progress, including new platforms and up-and-coming resources. The progressive nature of content marketing makes it a tool that won’t be going anywhere anytime soon and will only continue to expand and become an even more necessary marketing technique.

Benefits of Utilizing Content Marketing

Become visible without being sales-y

Content marketing gives you the platforms to showcase yourself and your brand without having to sell anything. It puts you in a human light and allows you to seem relatable and honest, making followers want to continue to follow you, engage with you, and even share your content and platforms with others.

It is hands-down the top way to gain visibility without having to outright sell anything. In a culture where authenticity and connection are top values, content marketing provides the perfect opportunity to grow followers while remaining authentic.

“Content marketing is the most economical and effective means of building brand awareness among consumers. If an audience can rely on a company for information, then they will most likely buy products from the same company.” – Source

More visibility = More leads = More conversion

The really neat thing about content marketing is that if your content is relevant and useful, your audience will do the marketing work for you.

All you need to do is provide the content and offer it to your followers. They will take the reigns by sharing your posts with their followers and friends, tagging people, commenting, and re-posting. In turn, this makes you more visible, brings new leads to your platforms and websites, and helps you to make more connections.

This simple format brings you what you need to grow your business and all you have to do is provide the content.

Gain credibility as a trustworthy source

In the end, your business won’t grow if you don’t gain conversions and make sales, it’s true. Consumers today are looking for natural, authentic, and honest connections when they buy, which makes content marketing the perfect tool for making the sale in the end.

Providing relevant and useful content to people makes you someone they can trust. You’re offering up free knowledge and inspiration to consumers, which immediately puts you in a positive light. With engagement, answering questions, and continuing to provide helpful content, followers will begin to trust you. Once they trust you, they’ll consider becoming your customer.

Place your brand in the position of a subject matter expert

There are many businesses out there that offer similar products or services to the ones that you are offering. This provides the opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from them as the expert in your niche.

When you provide useful and relevant content, you show followers that you have the information that they need. You become their go-to brand with any questions, the expert they point to when others ask for recommendations, and the business they think of any time they need what you have to offer.

Obtain organic business growth

Overall, content marketing makes you more visible, which brings you more leads, and gains you conversions. The goal in any business is to make sales and obtain customer loyalty, which is simply and organically done with the process of content marketing.

You need to make sales in your business, but you’re aware that the out-of-date paid advertisement methods don’t provide the conversions and sales that will make your business soar. In order to make headway in today’s authentic-driven consumer culture, you need to make your business a relevant, useful, and expert source in your industry. Content marketing is the tool you need.