why is content marketing important?

Whether you are looking to raise brand awareness, drive traffic to your website or store location, or increase product sales, content marketing is one way to set yourself apart from your competitors and stand out in the crowd. Content marketing gives you the chance to tell your brand story and build a relationship with your audience, helping you get closer to your business goals.

Focusing on content marketing can:

  1. Improve your brand reputation and build trust. Telling your business or brand story through content can help establish transparency, professionalism and expertise. You can show what your brand and business are all about. Whether a person is looking to buy your product or service, or needing advice on an important decision, great content gives them a positive opinion of their brand. If your content is valuable and engaging, they will see you as the industry expert.
  2. Influence conversions. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content costs 62% less than outbound marketing, yet generates 3x as many leads. They also report that small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than small businesses without, and content marketing increases conversion rates 6x more than other methods. That’s because 77% of internet users read blogs.
  3. Give you more visibility. Internet search engines, like Google, rank websites and articles by relevance and something called ‘search engine optimization.’ By publishing content on your website that utilizes key words related to your industry, products and services, the search engines will likely rank your content higher. And the more content you have that is optimized, the better. Websites with blog content have 434% more search engine-indexed pages than those that don’t publish, meaning more visibility online.
  4. Show off your subject matter expertise. When a customer is looking to purchase, they want to feel confident that the business they are purchasing from is the best option. By publishing content related to your industry, your potential customers can have valuable knowledge that can help them make a more educated purchasing decision. You are showing customers you know their concerns and have solutions to their problems.
  5. Give your customers the content they want. 20% of time internet users spend online is spent reading content. 68% of people spend time reading about brands that interest them, and 80% appreciate learning about a company through custom content. Audiences are looking for information on topics relevant to their needs, wants, interests and challenges. By creating content that speaks to those, they will trust your brand and feel more inclined to support your business.
  6. Drive funnel conversions. When it comes to your marketing funnel, content marketing plays a part in each layer. Those at the top of the funnel are just starting to become aware of their problems and searching for solutions. Your content will help them become aware that you offer solutions, and educate them on the information they need to make an educated decision.

    In the middle of the funnel, prospective customers are making final decisions about their needs. They know they have different options, so your content will encourage them that you are the best option. At the bottom of the funnel, leads are ready to convert. Content will give them the final information and support they need to feel comfortable making the informed decision purchasing from you.
  7. Support other marketing strategies. Content on your site can support your social media posts, email marketing, press releases, traditional advertising and other forms of marketing. Consistency is key. Content marketing gives you somewhere to link to in order to drive web traffic and even lead generation and conversions. Engaging content posted on different platforms reaches your customers where they are and encourages them to take the next step, whether it’s making a phone call, clicking to your website, or making a purchase.

When your content provides trustworthy information, answers to questions and solutions to problems, your potential customers will come to trust your brand and expertise. In addition to increased conversions and sales, consistently posting new content can support repeat business and increased word-of-mouth marketing.