Understanding Why Content Marketing Matters and How It Cultivates Relevance

Sure, as we provide website content writing services, it is our job to say that our business model is relevant, but the beauty is the research proves it! Just check out this infographic by Demand Metric. Most businesses market with custom content and the majority of CMOs believe these practices are a foundational element in corporate marketing strategies, spending nearly a quarter of their advertising budget on social media and blog creation efforts annually. These numbers aren’t really shocking when you consider the performance of more traditional channels:

• Direct mail advertisements are ignored by nearly half of the consumers.
• TV commercials are skipped by up to 86 percent of viewers.
• Almost all patrons unsubscribe from business email lists.

The old methods of pushing products with promises of blanket superiority and overwhelming customers with braggadocios media campaigns don’t work. Modern times call for modern practices. Marketing today is about forming lasting relationships and offering advice and connection. The Content Marketing Institute suggests that more buyers want to feel like they matter to a company, not that they only exist as a means to a profitable end. That is where content creation comes in, offering businesses a way to increase quality traffic, achieve a stronger ROI, and nurture client relationships, all while cultivating brand exposure and trust.

Increase Quality Traffic

Any campaign is about increasing quality traffic, improving leads and achieving sales. However, content marketing and strategy differ strongly in approach when compared to paid advertising. While paid advertising typically has a product- or service-first strategy, content creation is focused on the consumer and making personal connections that ultimately establish quality leads and sales.

According to research compiled by IgniteSpot Accounting, companies that focus on blogging experience double their inbound links, and websites with blogs have over four times as many indexed pages as those without. Neither figure is that surprising when you consider that social media and blogs account for nearly 80 percent of U.S. internet usage.

While blogging is beneficial, it is necessary to acknowledge that part of that whopping usage number accounts for social media as well. Social media has been a core focus of many marketers since the early 2000s, and for a good reason. According to a study published by Twitter, over half of their account holders have found new businesses on the platform. Nearly all those users plan to purchase from companies they follow, and more than two-thirds have made purchases.

Articles, blogs and social media posts allow companies to engage with customers directly, which is value added for many followers who expect brands to connect with them personally in views and beliefs. This connection establishes trust between consumers and businesses, essentially creating a relationship that will develop into brand loyalty and continued support if maintained.

Achieve a Stronger ROI With Blogs Than With Traditional Marketing Tactics

While traditional and paid search marketing is still relevant to a complete strategy, there is no denying the superiority of content strategy in lead generation and overall costs. According to a study by Kapost (in partnership with ELOQUA), promoting through insightful web posts produces three times more leads per dollar than paid search strategies. In addition to costing half the price of traditional advertising, companies using blogs and articles increase their lead generation by over 67 percent per month.

Whether you buy articles through a content marketing agency or website content writing services, or choose to perform the task in-house, the key to delivery is relevancy and brand authenticity. You are creating articles, blogs and social media post to help your customer, providing insightful and valuable information that may go beyond your product or service. Granted, you want to promote your service and most consumers understand that is your goal, but you want to go beyond selling to informing. If you manage to create that golden ratio of sales and information with a customer focus, then many people will purchase from your business, even seeking out a product after reading articles about it, creating a stronger ROI than traditional tactics.

In a culture that equates value with expense, it is easy to overlook the astounding benefit of content creation, a process that costs a fraction of budgetary marketing dollars and yet produces such tangible results. The technological evolution has provided businesses with a greater opportunity for exposure and profitability than ever before, but it is essential to nurture that exposure and cultivate trust.

Nurture Consumer Relationships While Cultivating Brand Exposure and Trust 

Technology usage is up in the U.S. and across the globe. According to data compiled by the Pew Research Center, more than a quarter of Americans go online almost constantly, and nearly three-quarters go online several times per day. However, this is only a fraction of the global digital population, which comprises approximately 4.2 billion active internet users according to Statista. This increase in internet usage and dependency is why content marketing is so vital to the fiscal health of businesses.

With over a third of people depending on the internet for their information over other forms of media, businesses need to focus efforts on digital campaigning. However, these efforts must add value to the consumer experience through authenticity and relevancy. According to research, a majority of people report more positive feelings toward companies that produce custom content that is relevant to their needs, with nearly 78 percent reporting more trust toward these companies while also observing a relationship with the brands.

In 2019, nearly 1.92 billion people are expected to be digital buyers, and most of these buyers will base their purchases off brand relationships, brands they consider in line with their struggles and beliefs. The thing to understand is that these relationships are established through a genuine connection that equates to trust with the consumer, and you can’t fake that trust.

Consumer-generation is king, and nearly 70 percent of the public can tell the difference between a business and a customer’s voice when reading articles, blogs and social media posts. This is why website content writing services and content marketing agencies are essential to your organization, because they specialize in creating branded material with an authentic voice, helping companies establish trust in the marketplace while nurturing individual connections.

While content marketing is not a burgeoning strategy, it is a booming one. Top-level executives all know, understand and trust in the process because they see how legitimate content creation bolsters their bottom line. More than that, the increases in quality leads, producing a stronger ROI, are tangible, proving relevance while expounding brand exposure and nurturing consumer relationships.

Need help writing content for your content marketing agency? We’re here to help!