What Is Content Marketing?
Marketing has changed over the years in leaps and bounds. In a time where there are more than 4 billion users on the internet, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your business stands out.
One way to do this is through effective content marketing. But what is content marketing? In a nutshell, content marketing is a strategy that provides a mixture of relevant content that provides value to your audience and will ultimately lead them through the buyer’s journey.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
In the past, the buyer’s journey was very linear. Let’s say someone was looking to purchase a jacket. They saw an ad in the newspaper for a jacket, they went to the store, and they purchased the jacket.
But now, with the wonderful world wide web at our fingertips, the buyer’s journey has become more complex. Let’s use the same scenario: you’re shopping for a jacket. Do you go out and purchase the first jacket you see? No. You’re going to open your laptop, or your internet browser on your phone, and you’re going to google “jacket” and about a billion choices are going to pop up. Do you want a lightweight jacket? A running jacket? A rain jacket? You are overwhelmed with choices and information. A study by Criteo shows that the average time between a buyer’s initial online search and the time of purchase is 28 days.
This is where content marketing can be very beneficial. Have you ever received emails from someone who is constantly trying to sell you something? It’s annoying, isn’t it? (Does anyone even read those emails?!) Here is where you have the opportunity to step in and provide value to your customers. By providing value to your customers, you are saying that you care more about them and their experience than you do about their money. You want to provide them with an experience and in doing so you are likely to not only make the sale, but you will have made a loyal customer. Loyal customer = more sales and more referrals.
How do I use content marketing in my business?
The first step is to create a strategy. Your strategy should include a variety of different content, including emails, social media, ads, etc. Customers should know who your brand is, what it is that you offer, what your values are, and your company’s mission.
Check out this graphic that shows a winning strategy to gain loyal brand followers.
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Examples of content marketing
Let’s examine how some of the big brands are using content marketing to create loyal customers.
Take Apple for example. We have all had the “iPhone vs. Samsung” debate with someone before and, no matter what anyone says, those who are “Team iPhone” are loyal and true to the Apple brand. They are the ones who stand in line for hours when a new product is released and they spend their hard-earned money, year after year, on its products. So how does Apple do it?
They have built their marketing strategy on simplicity. Instead of focusing on flashy ads and PPC, Apple lets its products do the talking. Everything about the brand speaks to this. They have a simple logo with no words attached, their stores are clean and simplistic, even the packaging is simple. Apple knows that it doesn’t need to be flashy in order to win customers because their products (and the millions of reviews) speak for themselves.
Another brand that has used effective content marketing is American Girl. If you have a young daughter at home you are probably familiar with this brand. It was popular when I was a child and is still popular today because they have created so many forms of content that give their customers an experience.
American Girl sells dolls and doll accessories, but their content includes books, movies, games, in-person events and experiences. All of this from a company that sells dolls.
In conclusion
So, to summarize… content marketing is a long-term strategy that is used by successful businesses to build a brand identity that speaks to their audience in a way that builds a loyal following. Customers are looking for more than a product these days, they want an experience. By providing valuable and relevant information to your potential customers, you can establish a relationship that builds trust and will lead to more sales for your business.
