How Content Marketing Affects Your Overall Business Objectives

No business is too small that it can’t think big. Let your business, however small; be among those businesses or brands that will “put a ding in the universe,” as Steve Jobs puts it. Let your brand and what you stand for matter.

Chances are your business already has followers of its own, has made it big somehow in your own little corner or neighborhood, has a regular website, and even a Facebook page with a few thousand likes. Is that enough? Don’t stop there because there is still so much that can be done. By now, you must have heard about content marketing and the wonders it can do to your business — from brand recognition to sales. Why should you care? A well-planned and well-executed content marketing strategy can help your business be whatever you want it to be and go where it has never been. Let your business goals be bigger with the help of an aggressive and effective digital marketing campaign. Remember, “digital” and “content” are not just tools but a window of opportunities and immense possibilities.

Don’t just fuel interest; make customers feel good.

Among the most common business objectives is to make customers interested and keep them hooked. You can’t do that just by regularly promoting your brand the way everyone does. Remember that consumers are fed promotional tactics everyday — when watching TV, while driving down the road, up to their Facebook timelines. Do not get lost in the shuffle and make yours stand out by sharing content that is interesting and helpful.

Joe Pulizzi, founder of Content Marketing Institute, stresses that for a content marketing strategy to boost interest and ultimately influence, a brand has to focus on who the customers are and what they need rather than what you are trying to sell. If you offer catering services, for example, stop promoting your menu and how good every dish tastes. Publish content about get-togethers, weddings, and having fun. He adds: “Instead of interrupting them with messaging about sales, coupons, and products, keep the relationship going by giving them content that they care about and can use.” An infographic by UK consulting firm Content+ revealed that 60% of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on its site.

More than just recognition, it’s engagement.

Once you have gotten the customers to take notice, it’s time to engage them. It is not enough that people are familiar with your brand; the objective is for your customers to engage with your brand. When you build your brand through content, you will see that goal of awareness is expanded to brand engagement. Your brand has to be part of casual conversations, it should be something they would share on social media, they must feel a certain connection, and it should be a part of how they live their lives. Engagement is tricky, that is why it is no wonder that 69% of marketers rank it as their priority, according to a survey by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. Remember that an engaged audience is an audience that helps build your brand.

Expand your targets and reach more people.

Everyone is practically online. Millennials alone spend an average of 17.8 hours a day consuming different types of media content, according to an article published in entrepreneur.com. Imagine if they spend just a few minutes on your content and share it to their friends. That is the good thing about content and digital marketing: it is boundless and limitless. Your brand can reach a wider demographics and have the opportunity to win over even the sector that you didn’t think you can have on your side.

A research by Contentaid said that just by maintaining blogs in a website can give companies a bigger slice of the online pie. This wider reach is a result of 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links. Regularly publish interesting content on your blog as it is among the top three reasons why consumers follow a brand.

Don’t just depend on walk-ins; increase store traffic with content.

Stop crossing your fingers hoping that a group of people will walk in your store. Inspire action through content marketing and make people want to go and check your store out. Make sure the content you publish is informative and helpful because according to the Major Purchase Shopper Study of GE Capital Retail Bank, 81% of shoppers research online before making a purchase. While online shopping is a growing trend, a Forrester research found that 51% still shop at stores as they don’t want to wait for their orders to arrive while 42% want to see the product in person before purchasing.

Go farther and build a relationship.

Content marketing will let you engage in real interactions with your customers. An article by propelrr.com said that developing long-term relationships is at the core of content marketing. This is made by making yourself known through content and inspiring conversion. Don’t just settle for crowd sourcing. Instead, build a lasting relationship with the audience. Making customers feel that you value them will also boost the value of your brand.

At the same time, publishing the right content will make the audience feel that you know them well. In building a relationship, acknowledging what your customers need and acting on them is crucial. When you build a genuine relationship, you don’t just create a market; your brand goes farther and creates a community.

More than sales, it’s trust.

When you have scored your ROI and you have decent and consistent net profit, you probably rest on your laurels and say that your business is on good footing (until a competitor sweeps you off, of course). Sales are good but what content marketing can give you is more than that. Be the brand that people go to for expert advice, information, trends, and so on. An effective content marketing strategy will expand your goals from profit to loyalty. Through credible and relevant content, you will have the biggest capital of all — reputation and trust.

There is a reason why 91% of marketers use content marketing in their marketing efforts. It is clearly because content marketing works not just in terms of returns or even engagement but the fact that it can turn things around for your business. Suddenly, you no longer just want to be a brand people have heard of but a brand they actually trust.

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