What is Content Marketing & How Can it Benefit My Business?

Although we all know what is “content” and what is “marketing”, there has been some confusion as to what is content marketing. To put it simply, it is valuable content (in its many forms) that is designed to drive customer action. To get a deeper understanding let’s get some facts straight.

 

It’s not a sales pitch but it does sell

Content marketing (when done correctly) is the ultimate quiet achiever, no matter how loud your content is. It works on your brand, business and audience without coming across as a pushy sales pitch. By providing useful, relevant and consistent content, your business will naturally attract a bigger audience. It’s simple really, we all skip advertisements if we feel they provide no value. Rather than pushing a sale, content marketing pulls in the customer and grabs their attention.

 

Its benefits are bountiful

Each benefit that comes with content marketing is a key component in achieving the next. A web page that has been crafted with this in mind will see the benefits in its SEO. Higher ranks on search engines means, more exposure. Increasing exposure means a stronger brand awareness and inevitably sales. If your business continues to show up on the web to buyers searching for answers, your business will soon be seen as an industry leader.

 

Its options are endless

Where do you start when there are so many options? Content marketing is anything and everything from infographics, web pages, blogs and podcasts to videos to e-books and cheat sheets. This is of course if they all provide information that is useful to your audience. Infographics and blogs have become an increasingly popular choice. This could be because, when they’re done well they are shared through all sorts of channels on social media and as a go-to guide for other businesses.

 

Ads vs Content marketing

It is possible for one viewer to classify your content as an ad and another to classify it as content marketing. Why? Because it all depends on whether the receiver considered it to be helpful and of value. Creating something that will be of value to everyone is almost impossible. This is because some viewers may consider laughter as value while others are looking for advice. But, by understanding who your target market is, you’ll be able to craft something that is relevant and of value to your entire audience. For more tips to help grow your business, sign up to the Bouncehelp newsletter.