The Power of Content Marketing
So, you are looking to give your business new life. Or maybe, you are on the precipice of starting something completely new.
Regardless of where your business is in its development, you need to understand the power of content marketing.
People have known the power of marketing for thousands of years. There is a reason that the ancient kings of Babylon had a team of scribes to write their words in clay. They knew that information was power.
Today information is more powerful than ever.
The advent of the internet changed everything. In the age before the internet (the dark ages as we call them at Legend Web Works), advertising was an outdoors game with an onus on the consumer.
Paper was king. The customer had to search out their prospective products by finding salesmen, going to tradeshows, or procuring brochures. Salesmen tried to find customers, but door to door can only take you so far.
Now, in the age of the internet, salesmen no longer need to go door to door. The most powerful advertising tool that ever was lives right in the consumer’s home.
According to Demand Metric:
- Content marketing produces 3X more leads per dollar spent
- Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing
Customers can now research several different products on their own, read reviews left by other customers, and even order directly from their homes.
Have no doubt, content marketing is a powerful tool. In this post, we will detail how you can wield the power of content marketing to strengthen your business.
You Have the Power
Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing digital materials (graphics, videos, blogs, social media posts) to stimulate interest in a product or service.
In 2020, the world saw unprecedented digital advancements. As the 2020s unfold, you can expect to see much of the same. The best time to invest in new technologies was ten years ago. The next best time is now.
In today’s world, people expect digital experiences and often prefer them over physical ones.
Digital content is the foundation of today's inbound marketing. Without fresh content, there is no search engine optimization or social media. And without those tools, there is no community to advertise to.
Once you understand that digital content is the basis of the internet, you have the power to use it to strengthen your business.
Consider: if content marketing is the foundation of the internet, then what should its goal be?
It’s simple! Content marketing exists to do the following:
- Build familiarity with a product or brand
- Build likability for a product or brand
- Build trust for a product or brand
In essence, digital content is a promotion for an idea that allows community members to voice their support or dismissal.
If you have a product or service that people enjoy, then content marketing will be a sinch.
If, however, you represent a brand with a troubled past, then you will have serious work ahead of you to regain the respect of your consumer base.
Content marketing is a lot like sowing a garden. Content marketing is the practice of laying seeds, you must be patient and allow the seeds to grow before you can harvest the crop.
How to Build Trust
Now that we understand that digital marketing is a long-term game of patience and quality service, we can discuss how a business builds trust between themselves and prospective consumers.
There is a three-step process for building trust for your business.
- Pull people in by talking about their needs.
- Hook your audience by helping (teach relevant information or answer questions on a topic).
- Form connections by
a) being a friend,
b) being informative,
c) being entertaining.
When done well, a customer will remember you and come back.
How Do I Get Started?
So, you know what content marketing does and how to effectively build trust, the only step left is to make some digital content of your own.
There are two forms of content you should consider when starting: social media or blog posts.
Let’s break down each so you can determine which starting point is best for your business.
Social Media Posts
Social media posts are one of the most effective ways to reach an audience.
The biggest benefit of social media is that it is free to post on most platforms and anyone can view your post for free.
The most common social networks are Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. However, each industry uses social media in different ways. Research your industry to see which social media platforms are most effective.
Start by setting up a profile for your business and fill out all relevant information (this will help customers find you).
Once you have your profile set up, it’s time to make your first post.
For your very first post, we recommend a short caption introducing your business featuring an image that symbolizes what your team is all about. A team photo or a picture of a satisfied customer with a staple product is your best bet for an image here.
Your first post is unlikely to gain much traction, but it should attract a few followers to your account.
After your first post, we recommend you post at least once a week to continue to attract new prospective customers.
Just remember to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
Blog posts
So, you can’t quite wrap your head around social media just yet. That’s fine! It can take time to adjust to new platforms.
Blog posts are a sublime alternative to social media posts.
You can think of a blog post as a short informative article (500-1000 words) about one specific topic.
Blogs are free information given to the public by a reputable and passionate source.
Blog posts are a fantastic form of content marketing because they have many different uses.
Typically, they live on your website and attract readers through their use of keywords and free information.
However, you can also send blogs out in emails, include them in newsletters, or publish them on outside sites or journals.
For your first blog post, identify a commonly discussed topic in your industry. Write a 500-word article that clears up points of confusion and offers the reader information they can use.
Once finished, publish the blog on your site.
Over time, your blog will start to attract readers. Those readers will trickle onto other areas of your site and come to trust you as a valued source of information.
The more blogs you have on your site, the greater this effect will be.
Blogs can be longer than social media posts but be sure you have relevant information to offer.
Use the Power of Content Marketing
The average business owner has never had as much power as they do now.
The internet is a lot like the wild, wild west. There are few rules, boundless opportunities, and endless room to explore. With a little strategy, you can strike gold.
Make no mistake. If you begin content marketing without a plan and don’t follow best practices, you can quickly find yourself in trouble.
Not looking to take this on yourself?
Enlist the entire Legend Web Works team to help you market your business in digital spaces. We are digital media creators, one of the top Cincinnati Digital Marketing Companies by Design Rush, and here to produce top-of-the-line social media and blog posts for your business.
