Before we talk about its ROI, you’re probably wondering why you should even care about content marketing in the first place. Why not focus your efforts on running an ad campaign, for instance?
A good marketing strategy is going to have all the bases covered, but content creation should definitely get a fair share of the budget. However, that can be a hard sell sometimes, because content marketing is going to have more subtle benefits than paid advertising. Content marketing is more of a gradual growth of the business, as it is generally more focused on helping the customer than driving sales. However, that’s not to say that it won’t help raise these figures, because if done right it certainly will.
The pros of content marketing are a little broader than just profits because it can help impact the overall attitude that the public has toward your brand. When people are more aware of your business and its reputation is strong, they’re also more likely to trust you and make a purchase.
That’s why it’s so crucial that you measure the ROI of your content marketing, so you can track the long-term impacts that your strategy has had on the business as a whole.
A few ways that content marketing can positively impact your business include:
- Boosting brand awareness
- Widening your reach by increasing visibility
- Increasing customer leads
- Establishing credibility
- Setting you up as an authority in your industry
- Impacting what products are considered and ultimately purchased
- Strengthening customer loyalty and retention
Content marketing does all this, and more while being more cost-effective than most other alternatives.
How Can Content Marketing Help My Business?
You may wonder how exactly content marketing is able to accomplish all of this. It seems like a big impact for some videos or blog posts to make on your business overall.
The overall benefit of content marketing is that it establishes your brand as a thought leader. Potential customers will come across your content and see that you are contributing to the overall knowledge of your industry, proving that you know what you’re talking about. If your business is offering helpful insights, people will come to trust the things you have to say.
Furthermore, while content can definitely be geared towards promoting your products or services, it’s less “in your face” than traditional advertising. People respond to content marketing because it doesn’t seem like it’s just trying to sell, sell, sell. (If done correctly!) It’s a way to show that your brand is authentically interested in more than just getting sales–you also want to help people with their problems by making informed purchases.
All of this helps to build trust in your brand. Not only does this kind of positive perception ultimately lead to more customers, but it also helps create more loyal customers. The people who genuinely enjoy your content are going to be more likely to be repeat customers.
These loyal customers may refer friends to your brand by sharing your content on social media. That’s another great thing about content marketing – it really goes a long way to boosting awareness, because it is so easy for your audience to send their friends an interesting article that they read or share a post you’ve made to their story. The more people you reach, the more potential customers you have.
