Become the go-to industry authority in your area of expertise
Content marketing serves to attract and retain a clearly defined audience by providing valuable and relevant content. Content marketing works to inform consumers about topics related to your product and service offering to later convert them into customers by providing effective solutions to their problems.
Depending on your industry, it takes anywhere from 5 to 20+ customer touch points to make a sale. As such, businesses are producing more and more content to increase the number of times that a prospect sees or interacts with their brand. Companies who are not yet producing content for their company may be missing out on sales opportunities that their competitors are capturing instead. Today, content can be communicated through more marketing mediums than have ever existed before.
Examples types of content include:
· social media posts
· email newsletters
· educational articles
· search engine optimized blogs
· videos
· case studies
· educational guides
· infographics/charts?
· press releases
· webinars
· podcasts
· e-books
· surveys
· original research
· company news
How can content
marketing help my business?
Content marketing has several long-term benefits to help companies increase measures such as brand equity and revenue growth. By producing content that is useful for your audience, you build your credibility and establish yourself as an authoritative resource on topics that matter to your customers. Over time you will build greater trust and loyalty.
Content marketing that is SEO-friendly also increases the likelihood of being found in search engines such as in Google where your potential customers are already seeking information about your products and services.
Mapping content to align with your customer decision making journey
Content Mapping is the act of outlining engaging content for each stage of the customer’s journey toward buying your product. A marketing funnel is a way of breaking down the customer decision making journey from:
Awareness > Interest > Desire > Action
Top of the marketing funnel
1. Content enhances company brand awareness
When a potential customer first discovers your brand, they have entered into the awareness stage of the customer decision making journey. They may have discovered you through a variety of mediums including your website, blog articles, YouTube videos, podcasts, or perhaps your social media profiles. While they may not necessarily be ready to buy from you at the moment or even to opt in to your email list at this time, they have become aware of your brand through the content that you share.
This is valuable because if your audience does not know who you are and how you can help them, then they cannot buy from you now or in the future. The focus in this stage is to provide value by showing others that you understand and care about their needs first rather than focusing on pushing the sales of your products and services.
In the awareness stage, people are just “getting to know you”. Therefore, building a strong brand image is of the utmost importance for success.
Middle of the marketing funnel
2. Content helps increase interest and desire for your products and services
After a while of getting to know you, your potential customer may begin to develop a greater interest and desire for you because you have been sharing relevant solutions to their problems. After awareness comes consideration, where people become increasingly interested and develop a stronger desire to buy from you. They are starting to “like you.”
To help increase the likelihood that your target audience will buy from you, we must guide them further along the customer decision making process with content that increases desirability for your products and a trusting relationship.
It is crucial to make sure you are selecting the appropriate communication methods.
We can help you with this.
Bottom of the marketing funnel
3. Content increases trust resulting in new leads
Now that your audience knows you, likes you, and trusts you, they are ready to enter the buying process. This is where the magic happens and we optimize your content to increase the likelihood that people will make a purchase.
As experienced marketers at Catch, we understand how to use targeted keywords, a variety of call-to-actions, split tests and other methods to push people through toward the buying line.
End of the marketing funnel
4. Content helps turn past customers into loyal buyers and brand advocates
The journey is not over yet after the sale is made. According to the Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. It makes sense: you are no longer spending time and resources going out and finding a new client as you just have to keep the one you have happy.
The bottom line to increasing your bottom line? Retaining the right customers over time is highly valuable. In this final stage of the customer decision making journey, your job is to deliver exceptional service and results to your customers. Content marketing aimed at referral and loyalty programs that demonstrate appreciation for your customers are incredibly valuable in this stage.
Is content
marketing right
for your business?
While content marketing is a great way for you to educate your audience about the solutions that you can provide to their pain points, it is also an excellent way for you to increase your brand awareness, stay top of mind, build trust, gain new customers and develop loyal brand advocates. As our global business environment continues to become increasingly competitive, it’s crucial to find ways to reach new customers while keeping in touch with existing ones over the long haul.
Content marketing is a long-game that needs to be played strategically with patience, care and consistency. As such, it may not be right for everyone.
With several different ways to approach your marketing communications plan, it’s best to begin with an assessment of your marketing strategy to figure out if content marketing is the right investment for you.
