One of the most effective ways a marketer can attract and engage prospects to them closer to a sale is content marketing. Content marketing is an inbound sales strategy that uses high-quality content published by a company that is likely to reach the target customer. The idea is that providing valuable information about the firm's products or services with little or no commitment will improve the prospect's perception of the business, brand, product, or service.
In his 1996 essay, Bill Gates famously said, "Content is King," and now, nearly 30 years later, content still reigns supreme. According to HubSpot (2021), 82 percent of marketers actively invest in content marketing to answer pre-sales questions and build trust and credibility with their audience. Free and easily accessible content is no longer a nice to have but an expectation. If a prospect can't easily find helpful information about your products or services online, you have no chance of gaining them as a customer; they will simply move on.
Effective content marketing is directly linked to improved results. Demand Metric found that content marketing generates three times as many leads as outbound marketing initiatives and can cost 62 percent less. Seventy-eight percent of content marketers surveyed by Semrush in 20 industries across 40 countries believe that their content marketing was very successful in 2021. All this adds up to a simple truth, if content marketing isn’t part of your strategy, you’re missing out.
Today's buyer journey is not as linear as it once was. Prospects are researching your company, brand, and products long before ever connecting with a salesperson. Content marketing helps you align your messaging across the various distribution channels used by your target customer. Message consistency and cohesion are just as important as the quality or volume of your content volume. Conflicting information will confuse your customers, causing them to lose trust in your ability to help them solve their problem.
As you begin your content marketing journey, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Identify your audience — the best content marketing strategies involve finding your audience and publishing the right content to interest the people and add value to their lives.
- Shift your mindset from marketer to publisher — as you create content, do so with your audience in mind and not your business goals.
- Establish goals and choose the best form factor for your content — content marketing is a long-term strategy, so be sure to set realistic goals, or you won’t be satisfied. You also need to consider the types of content your target audience is likely to respond best to so you can make intelligent choices.
- Keep one eye on the competition — don’t assume you know what the competition is doing. Look for gaps in their messaging or opportunities to distinguish yourself.
If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more marketing tips, check out the rest of our “Getting Started Series” articles and free eBooks on Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Integrated Marketing, Account-Based Marketing, and Email Marketing.
About the Content Sponsor
Dummies Custom Solutions creates co-branded custom marketing content that helps our clients “wow” their customers. We create content that positions our clients in front of a larger, global audience, establishing them as thought leaders in their industry, driving demand, increased engagement, and more qualified sales opportunities.References
Not Another State of Marketing Report. (2021). Retrieved from HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/hubfs/State-of-Marketing%20(2).pdfSalkin, M. (2022, March 29). 40+ Content Marketing Statistics to Power Your 2022 Strategy. Retrieved from Semrush Blog: https://www.semrush.com/blog/content-marketing-statistics/
The B2B Buying Journey. (2020). Retrieved from Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/en/sales/insights/b2b-buying-journey
The Current State of Content Marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved from Demand Metric: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic