There was a time when content was “nice to have” for a company. That era is over now. Content marketing has become the major form of reaching the hearts and minds of consumers. Below, I give you 5 reasons why you should start to implement content for your business today.
But First: What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing can be described as a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. The goal is to first attract and then transform prospects into customers by creating and sharing valuable free content. Content marketing helps companies create sustainable brand loyalty.
Content marketing has famous predecessors such as the Michelin Guide (written to sell more tires) and the Jell-O recipe books (written to sell more desserts). But content marketing really took off in our digital age.
5 Reasons Content Marketing is Good for You
Content marketing differs in an important way from old-fashioned marketing by providing valuable information to consumers. Once the customer’s need is identified, information can be presented in a variety of formats such as blogposts, videos, white papers, infographics, and case studies.
Below, I list 5 ways in which content both enhances the customer experience and boosts the desirability of your product.
Reason 1: Content Brings Your Product or Organization to the Attention of Your Target Audience
Through content, you can bring your product or organization to the attention of your target audience. This is the most straightforward form of content marketing. Many people associate content marketing, and rightly so, with the promotion of products or services. That starts with your website and the social media on which you place content.
Coca-Cola’s Journey website is an amazing example of content that is used to bring attention to a product. Though the focus is the famous beverage, this website has the look and feel of a lifestyle blog; it is miles away from yesterday’s corporate websites.
Reason 2: Content Shows the Customer How to use a Product
You can use content to bring new or existing products to the attention of consumers or add more experience to the products. Content can be used as an extra service so that customers know better how they can use the product and are therefore more satisfied.
For example, you can make “how-to” videos available. Do-It-Yourself retailers have YouTube channels filled with instructional films of how customers can lay floors or assemble a closet. In this way, consumers learn how to use a product better and will be more likely to buy more of it.
Reason 3: Content Influences the Price Perception of Your Product
You can use content to influence the price perception of your product. Using smart software, you identify how customers click through your website and collect their customer data. Based on this data, you can send each website visitor the price that is appropriate for their customer profile.
For example, if the visitor of your website is a real bargain hunter, present him a nice offer. If money isn’t a big concern for a customer, you can present him a higher price to increase the margin.
Reason 4: Content Can Remove Customers’ Doubts
Confirm to your customers that they are going to make the right choice. Content can remove possible doubts about the quality of your products or services.
That is why many business-to-business companies write on their websites about the investments they make to always attain excellence. Resumes of employees on a corporate website have the same function.
Another possibility is to place logos of famous customers on your website. This makes your business more seem more reliable.
Reason 5: Content Helps to Make Business Processes Transparent
Content can help to make business processes transparent. An example of this is the Track & Trace code that you receive when you place an order with a webshop. You will receive e-mails with delivery information: when the package has been shipped and when it is delivered.
Content can also help educate customers about how they can contact your business or where they can find answers to their questions. This can be done through a “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) page on your website, but also through manuals on the use of products.
5 Questions to Ask Yourself
Above, I gave you 5 reasons why content can enhance the customer experience. Chances are, a number of these reasons will be applicable to your business. To find out, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does my customer exhaust the uses of my product? If the answer is “No,” use content marketing to educate him (and you will sell more items).
- Is it possible to diversify my pricing? If the answer is “Yes,” use content marketing to maximize the effectiveness of your prices (and you will increase revenue).
- Does my target audience know my product? If the answer is “No,” content marketing will help (and you will expand your market).
- Do customers have doubts after buying from me? If the answer is “Yes,” use content marketing to convince them they are making the right choice (and first-time buyers will become returning customers).
- Is my process transparent enough? If the answer is “No,” use content marketing to give your customer the information he needs (making him a more satisfied, and for that reason, a returning customer).
At RevelX, we know how to transform market opportunities into great content. If you need our expertise, please make an appointment with one of our experts.
Björn Brekel
Lead growth hacker @ RevelX
Bringing startup thinking to the boardroom
Road cycling, minimalism and blockchain enthusiast
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