“Content Marketing is all the marketing that’s left,” says Seth Godin, the best-selling author, and entrepreneur. And he couldn’t have been more accurate. Content marketing is the future, and it is such a necessity nowadays, especially for start-ups and small businesses without a huge marketing budget.

The interesting part is that, despite the surge of content marketing in recent times, it has been around for a really long time. The concept of content marketing dates back to at least a 100 years and is still applicable in the present scenario. Yet many people still lack a good understanding of what “content marketing” actually is. Before we dive into it, let us comprehend what the term “content” represents.

What is content?

Content is anything that an individual or Brand creates for consumption. Facebook posts, tweets, infographics, blog posts, photographs, and videos are just some of the elements of content marketing. It could be defined as the consumable nuggets of information that work for your brand.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is “a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not openly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.”

Content marketing is all this and so much more. It is a process; a way of educating your customers about things that are not even directly related to your product. The use of high-value, non-branded content engages the viewer and eventually helps you earn their loyalty towards the brand. It is a wonderful way of teaching your target audience something that they will value without trying to sell them anything.

For example, the website BabyCentre which is one of the best and highest rated pregnancy and parenting destination is visited and subscribed to by 8 out of 10 expectant moms. This widely popular site is owned by Johnson & Johnson, one of the leading manufacturers of baby products. This is a great example of content marketing. Most companies have a blog section on their webpage that produces some amazing content, solely for the purpose of indirectly generating interest in their product.

Content marketing does not work overnight. It is a gradual process. It takes effort to earn a customer’s trust.  You build trust by offering value and expecting nothing in return. Unlike traditional marketing, content marketing is not about the brand, the product or the services. It is about your audience.

Content marketing also encourages you to provide something to the audience that no one else ever has. So that it elevates your brand and makes it a unique commodity. By becoming a credible source of information on topics that interest your customers, your business reaches a lot more people and gets discovered by the right audience.

Earning their loyalty and trust with this brand strategy will enable your brand to strengthen its customer relationships while growing an active and engaged subscriber base. It may even result in an eventual increase in profits.

Content marketing can be tedious process for some. There’s no instant gratification most of the time, you’ll need persistence and patience. But it can be an ideal approach if you want to provide your customers with an enriching experience while creating a positive brand image.

Here are the main reasons why marketers choose to put in the effort for content marketing.

To be found by the right audience

People are constantly looking for answers and information on search engines, and it is important to be present at the top of their search list.

To obtain new customers

For any business, new customers are always a welcome sight. When your brand is capable of building trust and keeps potential customers wanting more, they might eventually be inclined to buy your products.

To build a significant profit with existing customers

Content marketing helps to maintain loyalty with existing customers. This, in turn, increases the potential to increase sales with them.

To minimize marketing expenses

Many-a-times, digital marketing strategies have resulted in better revenue as compared to traditional marketing. An SEO agency can help bring in higher ROI that traditional marketing through content marketing.

At Results Driven Marketing, we’ve been helping our customers increase their reach and sales through effective content marketing strategies. If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, give us a call at 215-393-8700 to find out how we can help.

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