Today we’re talking about why content marketing is important and why it ultimately generates THREE TIMES MORE LEADS than traditional marketing strategies.
After all, 72% of marketers say that content marketing increases leads and engagement. So, you may be wondering about the impact of content on YOUR business.
Can you benefit from using content to grow your business? Read on to find out!
Statistics Source: Review42.com
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[02:51] What is Content Marketing?
[05:00] How Does Content Marketing Work?
[08:37] Why Content Marketing is Important
[15:50] Content Marketing Works but Isn’t for Everyone
[18:12] Bloopers
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
The Dodo (example of educational and entertaining content)
Introduction
[Meghan] You know, one of our top goals with this podcast is to help business owners reduce the overwhelm, streamline their tasks, and live happier lives as a result. Because we know how tough it can be to run a business or be in business for yourself.
[Theresa] Do we ever!
[Meghan] So today, I thought we’d talk more about content marketing in general as a strategy. You know, is content marketing something you must be doing? Is it important to your business?
Do you need to be using content as a marketing strategy in your business?
[Theresa] Those are good questions! Let’s face it, you don’t need another big project on your to-do list. You can’t do it all, and you want a life outside of your business.
So, out of all the marketing options out there, is content marketing really worth it?
We want you to know more about your marketing options so that you can realistically make decisions about your time and efforts.
What is Content Marketing?
[Meghan] Right! Just because 90% of marketers use content marketing to generate leads doesn’t mean it’s the right option for you. And that’s why we’re tackling this topic today.
Ok, real quick…did you forget what content marketing is? We talked about the definition in the episode #18 about how to find content ideas. But for a refresher…
Content marketing is the production and distribution of non-promotional, educational information that your audience cares about with the intent of creating interest in your products or services.
So, blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts are examples of content marketing. They educate and entertain your audience about topics that relate to your business but that don’t overly promote your products and services.
Ads and sales pages are not content marketing since their main goal is to promote your stuff.
[Theresa] I remember you said that content marketing is less invasive since your target market seeks you out. Whereas with ads, you seek out your target market to get in front of the most relevant people.
So, ads are intrusive and often interrupt whatever people are in the middle of doing online. And that can create a negative experience sometimes.
[Meghan] True, you never know with ads how they’ll be received online. I view content marketing as more focused on helping your prospect whereas promotional content is more focused on the business getting conversions or sales.
Of course, when it comes down to it, both ultimately exist to help the business, but content marketing appears much less self serving.
[Theresa] Yeah, people expect businesses to put the customer first. They know you’re in business to make money, but they want their needs to be at the heart of your business. Mostly, people dislike being sold to and would much rather research their options first.
[bctt tweet=”Content marketing works! But why could it be important to YOUR business? ” username=”MeghanMonaghan1″]
How Does Content Marketing Work?
[Meghan] Right, and studies back that up. Over 80% of people research online before buying. And that’s really how content marketing works—with people researching and seeking more information and you delivering the answers they’re looking for via your content.
In general, you provide valuable insight and useful information that attracts prospects, keeps them interested, and moves them along in the sales process.
[Theresa] What you just said reminds me of the episode about customer avatar alternatives and targeting prospects at the three stages of awareness. If my memory serves me correctly, the stages were informed, afflicted, and oblivious.
[Meghan] Yes! You are correct! Those stages of awareness are another way to talk about the sales funnel. A sales funnel takes a prospect from:
- not knowing they have a problem to
- understanding the problem and solution to
- convincing them that you’re the right business to invest in.
And that’s how content marketing works.
Blogs, videos, social media posts—all that awesome content that you publish—gently guide a person to buy from you by simply educating and entertaining them. I call this “enter-train-ment.” This describes how you use your content to entertain people while giving them the insight, value, and emotional connection they desire before they buy.
[Theresa] Mixing entertainment and information is smart because 95% of buying decisions are subconscious and based highly on emotion. Emotions and feelings drive decisions. And, entertaining content appeals to the emotional side of us.
So, your informational content is far more impactful when it’s delivered in an engaging, entertaining manner.
[Meghan] So, so true! A lot of businesses overlook the connection between psychology and marketing. Like you said, buying decisions are emotional. That’s why content marketing is more than just publishing information. Facts alone don’t sell.
To make your content convert better, you really need emotional appeal and an entertainment factor.
[Theresa] That makes sense. I prefer being entertained! Boring stuff attracts no one. And, entertainment runs the gamut. We’re not just talking about making people laugh, although that’s one avenue. Humor is great. But surprise, shock, empathy, and mystery work too.
[Meghan] Exactly. Look at The Dodo’s content. The content focuses on sharing stories about rescuing animals and the underdogs of the animal world.
Content marketing is meant to do more than just tell. The idea is to deliver your educational content in a way that connects in a more emotional way. That’s why I call it “enter-train-ment.”
Why Content Marketing is Important
[Theresa] In talking about how content marketing works, I think we also explained why it is so important. It’s really an effective strategy to convert people from prospects to leads to customers in a non-pushy, more authentic manner. Plus, it works as a path to connect with your audience in a more emotional way.
Are there other reasons why content marketing is important?
Improves Trust and Combats Blindness to Marketing Messages/Ads
[Meghan] There are definitely other reasons that make content marketing one of your best options for building a business online.
First off, people don’t trust marketing, and they don’t trust marketers. Can you blame them? There are a ton of unsavory characters out there making a living off of empty promises.
[Theresa] That’s for sure. I’ve been disappointed with enough purchases to sympathize with anyone who’s disillusioned with marketing messages.
[Meghan] Me too. And it’s not just about disappointment. People are overwhelmed with so many marketing messages that they’ve become blind to them. That is to say, marketing messages often go unnoticed.
Content builds trust with your audience. That’s one of the great aspects of it. Plus, your content answers the questions your audience has, so the focus isn’t on marketing messages. It’s about serving your audience on their terms, for their needs and establishing trust. So, those are two more reasons that content marketing is important.
[Theresa] Building trust and a community based on that trust is definitely one of the best things about content marketing. When you create content that helps your audience, you appear less self-serving and people really expect that these days.
[Meghan] True. Another fact is that at least 40% of internet users use an ad blocker. So, even if you think you can pay to get in front of your prospects, there’s a big portion of people who will not see your paid ads.
[Theresa] Wow! That’s a lot of people, but it makes sense. And I bet that percentage will increase over time as more people realize that blocking ads is an option.
It’s not surprising, though, since we’ve discussed how ads can be intrusive and how they focus on your product rather than focusing on the prospect.
[Meghan] Right, you feel like, “heck, I’ll just run ads,” but maybe that isn’t a strategy you can use alone. Like you just said, ads focus on the product versus the person. So, that’s another win for content marketing since its goal is to help your prospects with what THEY want, not what you want.
[Theresa] Ads work, but they are very different from content marketing. A combo of the two is probably ideal.
Optimizes Search Engine Results (SEO) and Increases Online Visibility
[Meghan] Content marketing and ads do work nicely together to generate leads and sales. Speaking of lead generation and sales, that brings us to a few other reasons why content marketing is important.
Content is how you optimize for search engines. And organic search is still one of the best ways to get discovered online. Typically, 70-85% of website visits are through organic search. Social media is not how most people find your website.
What’s the best strategy to get found in Google other than paid ads? Content. In fact, content marketing and search engine optimization are synonymous these days.
[Theresa] Content is important because it helps people find you online. Your blog posts, videos, and podcast content is what attracts people. They search online, and your content is the answer. And that’s how they discover you.
Builds Authority and Highlights Your Expertise
[Meghan] My content has been the number one way for new people to discover me online. So, visibility is a huge benefit of content marketing.
Another reason content marketing is important is that it builds your authority and highlights your expertise. When you share your knowledge through your content, you’re proving to people that you know what you’re doing. So, your content makes you more believable, reliable, and trustworthy.
Your content proves that you’re knowledgeable and helps to build trust with your audience.
Case in point, if you find two websites online and Company A has a one page website and Company B has 50 blog posts and a YouTube channel full of tutorials, which one looks more professional? Company B looks immediately more trustworthy, right? And that’s just from content.
[Theresa] Your content really does represent you and your business. It’s your chance to shine and prove to the public that you are well versed in your area of expertise. And this helps you generate leads and sales.
Becomes an Evergreen Asset (If Done Well)
[Meghan] And, look, when you build this online repository of content, you’re building an asset for your business. The content will be there for years to come, attracting people to you, and generating leads and sales. And that’s my last point about why content marketing is important.
When you focus on creating content that is relevant for a long time, this will be an asset that you can leverage now and in the future. The SEO aspects alone are huge because your online content will keep working for your business even when you’re not. Plus, you can take all of that content and turn it into other things like products, eBooks, online courses. I really feel like content is such a huge asset.
[Theresa] Content repurposing has become more popular, but I do feel like it’s a benefit of content marketing that people don’t talk about enough. I love that I can invest in a high quality piece of content and use it in multiple ways. That makes it so worth the investment of time and money!
[Meghan] I agree. The whole repurposing angle increases the value of your content, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Just to give you an idea of how content can be an asset, I used to sell digital products through my site Smart Bird Social. And, here’s the brilliant thing, even though my site is old now and I’m not promoting the brand—I recently had a sale.
I’m not even sending emails, posting on social media, or writing new posts!
Anyway, my content was out there working for me still. So, think about your content in other ways beyond face value. Consider the ways that your content can be an asset in your business.
[Theresa] I love that benefit of great content. And not only can you use a fantastic piece of content in multiple ways, you can also use it to inspire other content.
For example, one of the subjects I write about on my own blog is goal setting and achievement. I’ve used my blog posts as inspiration for The Messy Desk Podcast. Sometimes I even link back to my own posts if it’s relevant. It’s a way to use my own content to get others to see my own content. Make sense?
Content Marketing Works But Isn’t for Everyone
[Theresa] Hopefully you understand the benefits of content marketing a little better now. There are way more benefits than what we’ve discussed here, but we wanted to highlight some of the reasons we think this strategy is important.
[Meghan] Personally, I’m a huge believer in content marketing. That’s no surprise since—as a content marketing consultant—content is at the heart of my business. But, I will caution that content marketing is a lot of work. It is a commitment.
Creating and publishing content requires consistency and expertise. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul. Results from content marketing take many months—and typically years—to happen.
So as great as content marketing is, it’s not the right strategy for everyone. We’ll follow up with an episode of reasons why content marketing may not be for you. That way, you’ve got both the pros and cons.
Anything you want to add, Theresa?
[Theresa] I just want to mention that although marketing with content is a big undertaking, you can get started on your own. But if you’re thinking about the bigger picture, expect to hire or outsource some of the work as soon as you can.
As we always recommend, start small with your efforts. It’s not as important to start big as it is to just start.
[Meghan] Okay, that’s it for this topic!
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