What is Content Marketing and Why Do I Need It?

Content marketing is the plan, strategy and process of getting the right message, to the right customer at the right time.

Content marketing (sometimes called Inbound Marketing) is the linchpin to your business’ digital marketing strategy.

When it comes to search rankings, the importance of good quality, relevant content cannot be understated.

Content is the currency of the social web.

As the trend away from keywords and toward relevant, holistic content continues, strategies turn from using keywords based on search queries to understanding the user’s intent.

Ongoing useful information is your brand’s greatest asset.

Relevant, holistic content attracts, engages and eventually converts leads into customers. Successful content marketing then is a direct result of your business’ competence in being the most helpful and effective teacher in the world on the subject of what you offer.

The old way of delivering content to customers was to simply create an ad and broadcast it to the masses. Today, instead of broadcasting a one-way message that no one listens to or values, content marketing pulls people toward your company (hence the name, Inbound Marketing). Customers consume your credible information and instinctively come to trust your business.

Successful content marketing incorporates a defined content strategy that aligns your business’ goals with your customers’ information needs. Great content turns visitors into customers, and sometimes, even evangelists.

Content marketing is not something you just “do.”

It requires deliberate, well-defined strategies that serve your objectives, such as:

• Increase brand awareness in key markets
• Drive referral traffic to your website
• Increase signups
• Drive users to a lead-generation landing page with lead form

Right now you might be saying, “Ugh, another thing I have to do that takes me and/or my employees away from selling. I’ll wait until the trend fizzles.” Content marketing is so much more than a trend. It’s central to any business growth strategy for the foreseeable future.

If you’re not doing content marketing, you’re already becoming irrelevant.

Content marketing is likely something you’ve heard about but perhaps you’re not fully convinced of its value and that’s got you stuck. You’re not alone. I meet business owners often who have apprehensions.

Let’s break it down to show how content marketing works:

1. Attract Target Customers with Content

• Blog posts supply the information your customers need.
• Keywords and phrases optimize your post for better search visibility.
• Syndicating your content via social media boosts your search visibility and online influence.

I often get asked, “What do we write about?” The best approach is to go through a series of questions and discovery with a content strategist (like me). It’s a one-time process that brings great insight into your “why buy here.” We establish your brand’s core message, identify your target customers and lay the foundation for creating quality content.

Employees are an integral part of content marketing, however many businesses find it difficult to implement a solid process to extract, edit and publish quality content. Kruse Control’s tailor-made content creation process and training makes it easier to leverage employees’ expertise, and not go insane in the process.

2. Drive Organic Traffic to Your Site through Social Media

Social Signals are clicks on your website content that come from social networks. Social “referrals” remain a high-level search ranking factor. 

• Content must produce a compelling reason for users to take action
• Set up a regular publishing schedule to achieve goals
• Leverage Facebook ads to increase visibility and clicks

3. Superior Conversion Processes Take You Across the Finish Line

• Listen and engage when appropriate
• Incorporate Social Selling in your sales process
• Nurture leads intelligently; recognize social leads when they happen
• Design and launch Facebook ads using landing pages with lead forms to drive prospects further down the sales funnel

Why do I need Content Marketing?

Content marketing is the best way to turn strangers into customers. Relevant, holistic content that educates and enlightens, builds trust. Relationships cultivated through quality content tend to stick. Buyers remember who answered their questions and come back when it’s time to buy.

Content marketing moves the needle

• Your helpful, optimized content gets found more often in search.
• Your business is seen as a “likable expert.”
• People stay on your site longer when they have quality information to absorb and enjoy.
• You build trust and credibility.
• People who regularly consume your content are much more likely to buy from you.

Provide uncommon value first, then sell

Content marketing has actually been around for ages but today’s technology has greased the wheels of information. Every consumer has questions. When a prospect or customer asks your company a question, have solid strategy and tactics in place to answer it.

Content marketing develops relationships with customers throughout every stage of the buying cycle. Sales close faster and easier when the trust is evident. If you haven’t yet integrated content marketing into your business’ overall marketing strategy, what are you waiting for?

Next steps….

Creating relevant, holistic content is time consuming and distributing it is tricky. Each business needs its own unique plan and strategy, and many have trouble overcoming the challenges alone.

Kruse Control is a creative marketing partner and we can work together to develop your content marketing strategy. Together, we can turn challenges into advantages. Click here to get started!