According to Tech Client, content creation is the most effective SEO technique. In fact, business sites that post consistent blog content have on average of 434% more pages indexed by search engines than those that don’t publish at all.
Though content marketing costs about 62% less than traditional marketing tactics, it generates about 3 times as many leads, according to DemandMetric. The affordability of content marketing makes it a necessary tactic for small businesses that want to maximize their budget.
Consumers want to know that they are dealing with experts who know the ins and outs of the industry. Content marketing allows your brand to demonstrate its expertise in the field while providing valuable knowledge that can help readers make a more educated purchasing decision.
Repeat customers are the bread and butter of many small businesses. In fact, according to BIA Kelsey, 61% of SMBs say that half of their revenue is coming from repeat customers. Furthermore, Marketing Tech Blog reports that a loyal customer is worth, on average, up to 10x as much as their first purchase.
Providing great content doesn’t stop after a lead becomes a customer. Content that provides value for your customer base will help increase brand loyalty by strengthening the relationships you have with customers. This can encourage repeat sales and help you establish powerful brand advocates.
Your leads and customers want to read great content. In fact, 20% of the time that internet users spend online is spent just reading content.
And if you’re thinking that people don’t want to spend time reading content from brands, think again.
Content marketing is an effective way that small businesses can work to set themselves apart from others in the industry and show what makes their company special.
The topics that you create content around and the value of the content you provide can mean the difference between a consumer choosing your brand over a competitor’s. For instance, if a buyer is doing research about their challenges and certain products that can help solve those challenges, they will be more inclined to work with the business that’s provided them with helpful information.
Beyond just the type of content that you produce, you can also set yourself apart from the competition through your content’s language and the way that you present your information.
This brand personality can help you connect with your target buyers and show them what makes your business special.
There are three major areas of your marketing funnel that you need to think about while you’re developing your digital marketing campaigns.
Content marketing plays a role during each stage of the funnel:
- Top-of-Funnel (TOFU): At the top of the funnel, your prospective customers are just starting to become aware of their problems. They are also starting to become aware that there are solutions available. During this stage, content can help educate them and get them the information they need to decide which type of solution might help.
- Middle-of-Funnel (MOFU): At the middle of the funnel, leads are evaluating their options for products or solutions. Content during this stage of the funnel is meant to educate leads on what their different options are so that they can start to narrow their choices and come closer to a final purchasing decision.
- Bottom-of-Funnel (BOFU): Once leads reach the bottom of the funnel, this means that they are ready to convert. Content during this stage is meant to give a final nudge of encouragement to the buyer and empower them to make an informed purchasing decision.
Businesses often deploy more than one tactic in their marketing efforts. From email marketing to social media to PPC ads, there are many different tactics available to attract and engage your ideal audience.
Do you want to know what all of these strategies have in common? Great content! Your business needs to create engaging, high-quality content as part of any tactic that you employ in your digital marketing campaigns.
If you really want to see results driven content marketing in action, it’s time to get started.
The BrandZoo content team specializes in developing content marketing strategies focused on your target buyers.
 Our content marketing solution offers you:
- Blog posts
- eBooks
- How to guides
- Infographics
- Thought leadership articles
- Newsletters
- Social media content
- Website copy
- Whitepapers
- Video content