Content Marketing Is Generous Marketing
In simplest terms content marketing is about sharing worthwhile information—just giving it away free. Why would a business invest in the creation and promotion of free stuff? Because it helps to achieve two fundamental business objectives:
- Keep customer relationships (and referral sources) warm and engaged
- Attract new customers who are looking for you online but perhaps don’t know it yet
A well-built content marketing program plays to the people that already know and like your brand. At the same time, it aims to gain trust and develop relationships with people that could know and like you
It’s the New Word of Mouth
What do people do when they are looking for a service or product? They ask around, do research, share information, and get the opinions of those they trust. So it makes sense to give away valuable information because that helps you earn trust and build a following of loyal customers. Position your brand as the authority. Allow people the time they need to trust you. So when they are ready to buy, they choose your business over the competition.
Blogging, Email & Social Shares
This is how it works at SightLines: our content strategies use an integrated mix of blogging, social media sharing and permission-based email. The program is based on an optimized website. If you aren’t sure what that means, skip over here to read about the SEO implications of website content and page optimization. Then come back.
Websites Don’t Work Without You
Websites need tending to keep them fresh. By regularly refreshing your site with relevant, helpful content you are building credibility and authority for your business.
Content is composed of all your written communications online and off. That would include the many digital channels that have exploded in recent years: videos, podcasts, slide decks, infographics, ebooks, blogs, email, social media shares.
Business blogging and social media sharing broadcast your message beyond the space of your website, so potential customers can find you in search. Together with your search optimized website and content strategy, these basic content marketing tools allow you to reach out to bring new business in. They are the foundation of your content marketing program
Keyword Strategy & Content Development
Anchored by a strong Content Strategy, your integrated blogging, email and social media initiatives provide your outreach. Together they attract searchers and drive traffic to specific pages on the website.
Every time you publish a blog post, it adds a searchable page to your website. This is very good for SEO—and very, very good for your business because the search engines come to regard your site as dynamic, valuable and authoritative. That keeps your name and your information high on the list in search results where your prospective customers can easily find it.
Reuse, Recycle, Reinvest!
Everything written can be repurposed and used in multiple channels. Get this. Once you’ve built up a collection of Blog Posts they become….
- A source for Ebooks
- Subject matter of quarterly emails to clients & associates
- Topic for a Video or Slide Share deck
You are packaging and repackaging relevant content in the format your customers prefer. Then you promote it through the online channels where they hang out. Is that a smart and efficient use of marketing time and money, or what?
