Are you using content marketing to help promote your business? What? No? Then you should be . . . cuz you’re leaving serious bucks on the table.
Let’s talk about content marketing and why you should be using it especially if you use online marketing.
So what is content marketing? You see examples of content marketing nearly every single day if you browse the Internet. It’s wide spread all over social media. It is valuable information offered in the form of online videos, white papers, podcasts, webinars, and audio programs just to name a few.
Savvy marketers use content marketing to gain interest in their organization, build credibility, and help promote their business.
Content marketing should be included as part of your overall marketing strategy.
If used correctly content marketing is a great lead generation tool and can position your company as an authority and leader among competitors.
The End of Advertising
We all are over exposed with advertising messages 24-7. We’ve become overwhelmed with traditional advertising with no end in sight. Who wants more advertising? Who needs it? It’s not too hard to believe that prospects do not want more hype, more ads thrown at them. What they do want is valuable information.
Times, they are a ‘changing . . .
Competition is tougher than nails in our modern times. Businesses both large and small face serious problems standing out in a crowded world. To most prospects, products and services are basically the same. It’s difficult to stand out, to be different and to really make a difference in the prospect’s eyes. Trust is at rock bottom especially for new businesses and unfamiliar brands.
Promoting your business as usual will not cut it these days. And I’m sure you do your best to ensure that your offer is unique compared to your competitors. But even if you’re doing your best to explain how you are different or unique, your prospect still is not swayed to your side of the fence. Sometimes business is won almost like a coin toss . . . especially when numerous high-quality options are head to head.
And the winner is . . .
I hinted earlier a few benefits of using content marketing to promote and grow your business. But the plain fact is that content marketing can easily tip the scales to your favor boosting not only your bottom line but also confidence among prospects and clients over the long haul.
Content marketing works to:
- Put your business out front by embracing prospect’s needs to get quality information before making a buying decision.
- Positions you as an authority, an indispensable adviser in the buyer’s eyes as she looks for solutions.
- Creates solid trust and lower the resistance wall for prospects because you are not pitching you are educating.
First, you must understand prospects and clients want, in fact they crave to learn about solution options before they buy. And this is where content marketing really shines. It provides the information and education they want before they make a buying decision.
Prospects want to be educated instead of pitched. They want to know about overall options and solutions to their most pressing problems at hand. In short: they want to be well-informed, educated and knowledgeable about choices available to them.
Content marketing really shines!
High quality content gives prospects what they want, need and require not just another interruption (blatant advertising pitch) while at the same time positions your company as the most logical and sensible choice to “fix” their problems.
Let’s face it. Everyone wants to make a sensible buying choice. We want to feel good about our buying decision. We naturally want to do business with the foremost authorities in the field. Dealing with “winners” makes us fill more confident, good and satisfied about our buying decision. And providing good content helps lead to that feeling of making the right choice when we buy.
Here’s Your Goal
So now you’ve got a basic understanding of what content marketing is and the value that it creates for both you and your prospects. Now is the time to get busy creating some awesome content, right?
Start thinking about what makes your business interesting, unique and a better choice compared to your competitors. Then tell your story in your own way. Let that be your beginning to a great content marketing plan.
To higher results,
Emette E. Massey
Response Marketing Specialist
P.S. I’m in the process of developing special content marketing training e-course designed for especially for beginners. It should be ready this spring hopefully within the next 60 days. If you’d like to get on the waiting list and receive a special VIP early bird discount as well as unannounced bonuses just send email me at [email protected]. Please put “Early Bird Content Training” in the subject line.