In today’s economy, it’s all about making money and keeping your business afloat. As more companies begin to tighten budgets and trim dead weight, “traditional” marketing methods are being replaced by cheaper, more effective ones. One such strategy that has proven to be cost- effective and game-changing is content marketing.
According to a recent study by Mass Relevance and The CMO Club titled “At the Speed of Life: Fortune 500 CMOs Share their Priorities and Challenges for 2014,” 95 percent of CMOs say content marketing will be important to their business in 2014. Moreover, 66 percent of all CMOs surveyed expect their content marketing efforts to yield a positive ROI in 2014.
While this comes as no surprise to us, you might be wondering why CMOs are so gung-ho about this seemingly “new” marketing strategy. Below are some of the biggest things content marketing can do for your business:
1.Build Trust: It’s increasingly difficult to get consumers to trust your company. By delivering custom content that addresses your audiences’ biggest challenges you can start to establish a mutually-beneficial relationship built on trust and loyalty.
2.Generate More Leads: Lead generation is one of the biggest pains in marketers’ sides. According to research from HubSpot, small businesses that use content marketing produce 55 percent more leads at a cost that is 62 percent less than leads generated through paid advertisements.
3.Spread Brand Awareness: With hundreds of companies just like you competing in the same ring, it can be hard to get noticed. By disseminating custom content via a wide variety of platforms, you can quickly develop a loyal following.
4.Increase Engagement: Today’s consumers no longer want the “hard sell.” Instead, they want valuable information that helps them solve their toughest pain points. By putting yourself in your customers’ shoes you can directly engage with them on a more personal level.
5.Close More Deals: Believe it or not, content can be your biggest deal closer. For example, case studies, ROI calculators, and pricing guides are great assets that can help give customers that extra push into signing on the dotted line.
There’s a reason why content marketing has become the most talked about marketing strategy as its benefits are far too abundant to ignore. What are you waiting for?
