Content marketing performs nine functions that help both B2B “business-to-business” and B2C “business-to-consumer,” marketers generate more leads and ultimately close more sales.
Let’s explore them:
1. Define the specifications
Content marketing can inform potential customers about the features, functions, and capabilities they should consider when buying a specific type of product or service. Readers will absorb and accept your guidelines if you present your criteria in a white paper or other media that looks like helpful information rather than a sales pitch. They will then use the specifications you set.
2. Make the potential customer indebted
This principle of reciprocity is described by marketing expert Robert Cialdini in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. “When you give something to someone, they feel obliged to give you something in return”. Offering free content to potential customers does not oblige them to buy your product, but it does encourage them to give you a little more time and attention than they would otherwise.
More than half of buyers energetically agree that if brands provided relevant content, it would help speed up the research phase of the buying cycle.
Content marketing involves providing personalized, segmented, and relevant content to existing customers. If you engage your existing customers and keep them up to date with great content, you will improve long-term customer retention rates.
3. Get more inquiries
A promotional campaign that attracts potential customers and offers free content can double the number of responses compared to the same campaign without the free offer. That’s how effective good Content marketing is.
By publishing new and relevant content frequently on your digital channels, you increase the likelihood that new customers will learn about your company, its services, and the value you can provide them. In addition, potential visitors are more likely to return to your website if they know that you are frequently adding new content.
4. Get new customers
Many marketers gain new customers through their blogs. Whether your content caught a potential buyer’s attention on Google or a white paper downloaded on your website convinced them, Content marketing plays a vital role in the B2B buying cycle.
“According to Research, a B2B leader looking for a product can typically complete 70-90% of the product discovery, research, and evaluation process before approaching a supplier. B2B supplier research is conducted online, and one thing that can help guide a leader through the process is posting valuable content on the website, email, search, and social channels.
Half or more of the regular emails sent to your list of potential customers should be content, and less than half should be sales emails. Sending too many sales messages and not enough quality content will increase unsubscribe rates. There is also a “psychological” unsubscribe rate, i.e., even if people don’t ask to be taken off your list, they simply stop reading or even opening your emails.
5. It makes you an expert
Publishing content about your industry, niche, or specialism helps position you as a recognized authority in your field. Potential customers are more likely to buy from knowledgeable experts than ordinary salespeople.
In a fast-changing industry, Content marketing can help force your team to keep up with changes and trends, which can be invaluable to your product development efforts.
6. Educating the market
Content marketing supports your sales efforts, but its primary role is to educate and inform, not make blatant product offers. Nine out of the top ten most successful B2B content marketers put their target audience’s information needs ahead of their company’s sales message, reports the Content marketing Institute.
One content management software (CMS) marketer was the first to integrate its CMS with analytics, e-commerce, and other applications.
But the market didn’t yet understand the benefits of this integration, so the marketer published a white paper explaining them, to good effect.
7. Drives sales
Content can be strategically distributed at different stages of the buying cycle, helping to accelerate each step and ultimately increase sales. For most buyers, the sales pitch goes through four stages: getting their attention, piquing their interest, creating a desire for the product, and placing an order. Both sales activities (copy) and education activities (content) can be used at each stage.
8. Improves Search engine ranking and discovery
Search engines love new, relevant and indexed content. By hosting content on your website – whether blog posts, white papers, or web copies – you can improve your Search engine rankings and the likelihood of customers finding your website. By increasing the number of indexed pages and links, you make your website more trustworthy in the eyes of Search engines.
Higher Search engine rankings mean that interested potential customers are more likely to discover your site when searching for relevant keywords.
9. Drive web traffic
Search engine discovery, combined with social posts referring to your site, can significantly increase your web traffic. According to the survey, if your website has between 51 and 100 pages (count each blog post as one page), you’ll get 48% more traffic than if you have less than 50 pages.
In short, Content marketing is a powerful tool for businesses looking to grow their brand online and attract new customers. It can also be a lot of fun!
If you’re ready to start growing your website check out WP Maintenance Service
Read More: Drive traffic to your website