The Importance of Content Marketing

In today’s world, people from all over are digitally connected through their smartphones, tablets, and computers. The most successful businesses are able to use this to their advantage and, in effect, generate new leads from all over the globe and gain the trust of their customers.

How, you ask?

Simple. Through top-notch blog and social media content.

What makes content marketing so important?

With technology advancing as far as it has, a marketing strategy that consists of robust social media and blog content is one of– if not THE– best way to advertise your brand. Without it, even the most unique aspects of your business will likely vanish into obscurity.  As our attention spans continue to diminish and viral media increasingly takes over online communities, you should get into the content marketing game NOW before you get left behind.

If you know what you’re doing, content marketing can be the easiest way for businesses to showcase their products and create brand loyalty. And, as your readership increases, so do your chances of attracting new leads and even reconnecting with previous customers. It’s a relatively simple yet effective method that, if done well, can give you massive results. Plus, it’s cheaper than traditional, outbound marketing, like cold calling, newspaper ads, and direct mailers.

As a matter of fact, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3x as many leads according to Demand Metric.

How do I maximize the effectiveness of my content marketing?

When it comes to content marketing, consider blog posts and social media your two best friends. Here are a few statistics from Tech Client that will help you understand the effectiveness  of both tools:

• 77% of internet users read blogs
• 23% of their time on the internet is on blogs and social networks
• Websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages, which massively help search engines like Google guide people into your website and, consequently, to your merchandise.

The more you provide quality content for your followers, the more likely they are to share it with other like minded individuals in their digital community. As a result, you’re able to reach your target audience like never before, generate more leads, and turn those leads into PAYING customers.

Of course, it really isn’t that easy. If that were the case, everyone with a Facebook account would retire by age 25. Let’s talk more about how you can get the most out of your blog posts and social media content so you can propel your sales.

Making the most of your blogs

Two words: Consistency and quality.

In a saturated online market, you have to make sure you stand out. Remember: More blog posts don’t always mean more traffic. If you publish an article just for the sake of it and you don’t consider the quality of its content, no one’s going to read it, much less share it with their friends.

A tool you can use to make sure your blogs always remain competitive is SEO (search engine optimization). As we’ve discussed before, SEO is a way of constructing your content so it’s easy for search engines to find. In doing so, your blogs have a higher chance of showing up in primary search results and drawing in traffic. Moreover, this traffic surge is a great opportunity for you to turn readers into leads through your CTA.

Let’s put this into perspective, shall we?

Let’s say you’re in the food delivery industry and you write a blog titled “Last Minute Ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner.” People in your area frantically searching for a solution to their problem will most likely search for something along those lines and BOOM, your article is the first to pop up. After they realize that going to grocery store is going to be mayhem on a holiday, BOOM AGAIN, they see your CTA: “Enter your email address to get your first order delivered for free.” There’s your lead!

Consistency

According to HubSpot, companies with more than 16 blog posts per month generate 3.5x more traffic.

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to content marketing, quality still reigns over quantity. However, if you can consistently publish more blogs with high SEO rankings and valuable information… well, you do the math. After all, each blog post you share is one more indexed page added to your website which– by the way–also improves your SEO efforts.

Making the most of social media

According to We Are Social, there were 3.196 billion social media users in 2018 alone, and that number continues to grow. Moreover, if you’ve published well-written blogs, social media is where your readers share them. This, in effect, expands your reach to their friends and contacts who might also turn into leads, while also boosting brand awareness.

While your blogs are the main event, social media is what helps those publications gain traction. They’re complementary pieces of the same marketing strategy. Without one, the other simply wouldn’t be as effective.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you develop your social media presence:

• Be specific. Use your website’s statistics to find out what platforms your readers are on because there’s a good chance that their friends are fascinated by the same things. Focus your attention on building your presence on those platforms so their like-minded friends can know about you, too.
• Be authentic. When you’re building an online presence, you have to be true to yourself and what your brand represents. Don’t force humor if you aren’t funny and don’t force formality if that isn’t you. Be natural but also professional. Being genuine attracts people and helps build trust.
• Engagement is key. Different social platforms offer different features. Use them to reconnect with your customers or to convert more people into leads be it via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.

In a nutshell, a well-designed website, top quality blog content, and a firm grasp on social media all rely heavily on each other to be effective.

Reach out to us at Next Level Studio in Mobile, Alabama to schedule a marketing consultation. Fill out the online contact form or call us at 251-206-6118 to set up a meeting.