In an increasingly competitive field of digital-based small businesses, firms need high-impact, cost-efficient ways to market effectively to generate leads and drive sales.
Content marketing, a strategy to drive sales and engagement via your brand’s content in place of (or as a supplement to) advertising-based marketing, can help you stand out in the industry and increase inbound leads.
Blogs, videos, and podcasts contribute to your brand’s ability to reach people and establish a reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source in your field.
“Ad Science Lab is a leader in content marketing and can show you how to maximize your return on marketing investments.”
Content marketing takes advantage of Google’s search algorithms
Establishing your brand as a trusted source of content makes both Google and your users happier. Google is the number-one provider of traffic and views for the average website3. The algorithms that determine which results make it to the top of the page favor content from “authoritative” sources3.
By producing a lot of strong content that generates clicks and attention, you earn a reputation as a trusted source and are more likely to appear higher up in search results3. When you place higher in search results, you get more clicks and more attention from the algorithm, driving interested and engaged leads to your business site3.
Content marketing drives more sales
Content marketing works by answering your customers’ questions as they come up, building trust in your brand1,4. If your brand appears as the first thing a potential client or customer sees when searching for something, you are instantly making an impression and influencing their decisions even before they click on your links! Instead of reaching out to the buyer to convince them to buy your product, they will reach out to you as an inbound lead to learn more through a conversation.
“Good content gives you an invaluable foothold in the buying process and makes for a long-lasting bond with your users.”
Content marketing lets you control the conversation
By making your content a trusted part of your buyers’ research process before committing to a purchase, you position yourself, your products, and your services in front of your competition1. Your customers may be searching the internet to solve a problem or need that they have, and they will likely see multiple businesses that can help them. If you have content that matches what they are looking for, you are much more likely to gain inbound attention and convert leads into buyers.
It’s much less irritating than traditional marketing
Offering a blog, video, or FAQ post as a free service can help you become an authority on your business’s area of expertise1. You are also sparing your buyers from excessive pop-ups and banner ads, which could fatigue readers and drive them away from your products. Users that are already invested in your content are much more likely to click through on something they already know is a trusted source. When you present your products as a solution to a problem, customers will see your content as helpful instead of intrusive, building goodwill and leading to increased sales1.
Content marketing provides compounding ROI
Content marketing is not just about posting a new article every week. Your articles stay on your website forever, and eventually, you will amass a wealth of information for visitors to reference2,4. You can also reference your own content, leading users through all of the wisdom on a topic you have to offer and keep them engaged on your website for longer periods of time. This makes you an even more trustworthy source, and you can even get linked to other sites, which improves your standings in Google’s algorithms3.
Content marketing grows your social media following
Social media loves content nearly as much as Google does, and people that love your content will often gladly follow you on Twitter or Facebook to get notified of more2. They’ll also expose their social followings to your content by sharing and quoting it, which will earn you even more views in a ripple effect that increases brand awareness, customer engagement, and opens opportunities for more conversations that could lead to sales2.
Content marketing makes life WAY easier for your customer service team…as well as your sales team
Your content should cover the breadth of your business’ services and products, including how they work and the best ways to use them. Your sales and service teams can reference your content to make pitches and troubleshoot, or even bypass those teams entirely when a customer finds your content first. When you make your content relevant and accessible, your readers and customers look to make a purchase with knowledge and a positive impression1.
How can you Implement a Successful Content Marketing Strategy?
Content marketing is one of the best marketing investments your business can make, offering compounding ROI, increased trust and goodwill with customers, and increased awareness that provides a competitive edge.
“Building your content base with search-engine-optimized, well-written, relevant blog posts or other forms of media can establish your business as a leader in the field and direct readers and potential customers to the resources that they want and need.”
Ad Science Lab has a team of content-specialists, branding experts, and web data professionals who can merge your marketing intent with potential customers’ desires and needs through strategic content marketing. Get in touch with our team for a free consultation today to see how marketing science can elevate your business!
