Five reasons to invest in a content marketing strategy

According to a recent study published by the Content Marketing Institute, 42 percent of companies expect to increase their content marketing teams over the next five years. Content marketing has become more than a buzzword: it is nowadays unavoidable for anyone who wants to exist on the internet. If you have yet to invest in content marketing, here are some very good reasons to get started.

Maintaining a consistent return on investment

The return on investment (ROI) of content marketing is much higher than that of online advertising. Once your Adwords campaign is over and your budget is spent, it is over. However, with content marketing, your investment continues to bring your customers back, even if you decide to stop. Creating brand awareness makes your content wanted, and people will always return if they think you are the thought-leader in your industry.

Content marketing can complement your other online strategies

By publishing and distributing original content, you forge the reputation of your own brand and increase the visibility of your site. You benefit from more inbound traffic, which allows you to acquire new customers while retaining the old ones. Using content marketing with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can help drive traffic to your site. And even when used with pay-per-click (PPC), content marketing can be an effective tool. You may have paid for the ad in Google, but it will not drive your traffic if the content is dull and lifeless.

With content marketing, you win every time. You improve the SEO of your site with better content to grab their attention and you reinforce your presence on social networks by publishing original content. You can also address your customers’ concerns, rather than advertising them, and by transforming each article into landing page, you can boost your conversion rate effectively.

The diversity of mediums you can use is endless

In a content marketing campaign, you have many options for mediums and distribution channels. In case you do not want to write articles, you can develop your strategy with computer graphics, visual tutorials, webinars or videos. There are no limits: the main thing is to offer something interesting for your audience. Whatever your content, it has to be eye-catching, and grab the interest of your target. No point churning out content if no one reads past the first sentence. So make sure your content is engaging and can create a call-to-action with your customers.

Competing in an increasingly competitive market

It may not have escaped you, but to exist on the internet you need to cut through the competition and rise above the rest. Easy enough to say and your competitors may already be using content marketing. Therefore, if you want to strengthen your own position on the topics your customers are interested in, you have to be that little bit different from the rest. Define your focus when producing great content. Try not to generalise, as this turns people off. General content can be read anywhere. You want to be the one who knows about every aspect of the product. Be specific and detailed, many people want to know exactly what your product can do that other’s cannot.

A major return on your investment over the long term

Unlike an SEO marketing strategy that offers you a return on investment (ROI) and nothing else, such as paid advertising, content marketing allows you to generate and sustain increasing profits. As you publish more content, you add value to your site, your reputation, and in turn, to your business. The sooner you engage in a content marketing strategy, the better it will be for your growth. And that is what you need. More growth. Using social media sites with content marketing is another good way to grow your brand awareness. Moreover, the return from social media can make up for up to 50 percent of your driven business.

It is true that your business could exist without the use of content marketing. You can rely on the few people that will happen on your site by chance, and like the product. However, if you really want to grow your business and your brand, content marketing is the best strategy you can use. It can make the difference between subsistence and success. Therefore, if you want to get ahead of the competition, you know what you need to do…

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