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Companies used to engage in content marketing as just something extra to their online marketing effort. But now, it is a necessity for all companies that are looking to generate leads and sales on the internet. I am sure you’ve heard of the term “content is king”. In fact, most successful digital marketing campaigns have content marketing at their core. Great brands are often backed by a treasure trove of relevant content designed to connect with the company’s target market.

To help you grasp how important content marketing is, here are the top advantages that content marketing can bring to your business:

1. Content marketing creates more conversions.

According to research, the consistent creation of quality and relevant content produces conversion rates almost six times higher than those experienced by companies who don’t focus on content marketing. Companies who make a significant investment of time, money, and resources into content marketing have found that such investment pays off when they see more browsers and visitors to their website become customers. Such an increase in conversions is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of content marketing to your company.

2. Consistently posting effective content brings more site traffic.

Engaging and effective blog posts published frequently and regularly can help drive more traffic to your site over time. HubSpot reports that companies that published more than 16 blog posts per month got almost three-and-a-half times more traffic than those that only published four or fewer posts. If you want more people to visit your site, publish more quality blog content more often, more consistently.

3. Useful content that engages target buyers builds brand awareness.

Brand awareness is one of the most essential benefits that content marketing can provide to your company. There are people out there who want your products or services, but they haven’t yet heard about your brand. When you create useful content that adds value for your target buyers, you can build awareness for your brand through your direct or indirect interaction with your potential buyers.

4. Quality content can be used to educate your customers.

Your customers and leads may have needs that your brand can meet. And quality content can help inform them about their needs and how your products or services can help provide for those needs. In developing content, focus on your customers’ greatest felt needs. This way, you can help them better understand what their needs are and how you can help.

5. Content can help you build trust with your target customers.

Trust is built on belief and belief is built on information. Therefore, the greater the effort you put into creating content that would inform and add value for your target audience, the more trust you can build with them. Through blog posts and other types of content that address your target customers’ needs, you can build a relationship with them. This relationship is based on trust that is, in turn, based on the value that your content provides.

6. Good content helps you develop stronger customer relationships.

Do you want repeat business and make your customers into advocates of your brand? Nurture your relationships with your current customers. And one way to do this is to regularly post quality, engaging content to continue adding value for your customers. It could be by updating them through email content or educating them on important topics through your blog. However way you do it, you can develop these relationships through helpful content.

7. Quality content helps you build credibility and authority.

When you consistently create and post quality content that your leads and customers find helpful and relevant, you are building credibility and authority before them. For example, when you write blog posts about challenges that your customers face or issues that affect your industry, your customers will begin to see that you know them and you specialize in your product or service. This perception will then encourage them to trust your advice and guidance when it comes to products and services in your industry. Valuable content will enable you leverage all of the benefits of content marketing.

8. Quality content can use customer trust to position your business as an industry expert.

Consumers look to perceived leaders in the industry for relevant information that helps them better understand their needs and challenges. So, when you have built credibility and authority within your customer base through quality content, you can position your brand as an industry expert because your customers trust you. When you have done so, customers and leads will come to your website for guidance and support which may lead to conversions.

9. Good content can help move buyers through the buyer’s stages quickly.

Customers go through stages before they make a purchase. First, they recognize their need or challenge and then identify and evaluate potential solutions. Finally, they will decide to buy based on their research. When you have content that engages customers at each step of the buyer’s process, you can help guide them to decide on the buy more quickly.

10. More content gives your site visitors a reason to keep browsing.

Your company has a very limited amount of time to engage consumers once they’ve landed on your website, social media profile, or YouTube channel. Based on a recent Microsoft research, a human’s attention span is only less than 12 seconds. That’s shorter than that of a goldfish. So you have to give it all in creating compelling content that engages, entertains, and educates browsers so they can better see the value that your brand can provide. And the more relevant and engaging content you provide, the more reasons your visitors have to follow you.

11. Content marketing is more cost-effective.

Because content marketing is typically easier start and more popular with customers who are tired of traditional advertising messages, it can often help reduce the funds that marketers need to spend to attract and engage leads and customers. In fact, according to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing while producing more than thrice as many leads. Therefore, content marketing is more cost-effective than many traditional outbound marketing modes.

12. Targeted content can help you reach a specific audience.

Not every online browser is a customer and not every online customer is interested in your products or services. Therefore, you need to be exact and deliberate about whom you attract to your website as potential online customers. Content created for your target market helps you better reach those who just might be interested enough in your products to buy them.

13. More content provides more touchpoints with your leads and customers.

The more useful and relevant content you have published on your website and shared on other channels such as social media, the wider your reach will be and the more chances you will have to engage your target audience. Generally, most customers will visit your website a few times before buying anything. So you will want to make sure that you have a chance to engage them, start a conversation, and help guide them down towards conversion. And if you are doing content marketing, you will have access to many touchpoints where you can engage with leads and possibly help them decide to buy.

14. Content marketing lets you can provide value with no strings attached.

Content marketing lets you add value to your customers through informative and interesting content without asking for anything in return. This may seem like it is not in the best interest of the company because generally, businesses only help people who actively patronize their products. But it is in the interest of the company because this quality of content marketing can actually improve the company’s ability to attract new customers and build relationships with leads. Moreover, this increases your chances to engage consumers who are not yet ready to buy.

15. Content can be shared!

If word-of-mouth is arguably the best form of marketing, then content sharing probably comes as a close second. In fact, one of the best ways to increase visibility online is when your current customers, leads, and brand advocates share your business content with others. And content is very shareable. So whenever customers forward one of your email marketing messages to a co-worker or share one of your infographic posts on social media with their friends, your shared content increases the visibility of your company and your products or services not only in cyberspace but also in the marketplace as a whole.

16. Content marketing can help you make more personal connections.

While showing the human side of your business can be hard, your content allows you to present a human voice. Through the content, you can make a more personal connection with your customers and leads, all the while showcasing your brand voice and character. So go ahead and put a little character and personality in your blog, videos, and social media posts.

17. Content marketing can benefit businesses in any industry.

There are some who believe that content marketing only benefits certain industries but is ineffective in others. However, content marketing has been found to be an effective digital marketing tactic for businesses in any industry from consumer retail, to technology, to manufacturing. The key here is finding the right topics and types of content that best speak to your unique market.

18. Content marketing can help bring in unexpected customers.

By creating and promoting valuable content that speaks to your target market’s pressing challenges, you may come into contact with new customers in unexpected places. Having and maintaining an active blog and a social media presence will help build awareness about your company and your products and services. This could bring you into contact with new people who need your product or service.

19. More content shared means more social media traffic generated.

Social media marketing can help you powerfully reach and engage new leads while nurturing long-lasting relationships with your current customers. And the more helpful and relevant content you create, the more material you can share on your social media channels. Once customers realize how useful and valuable your content is, they will be more encouraged to follow your brand on Facebook, Instagram, and wherever else you may be!

Content marketing can provide so many powerful benefits, which is why more and more companies are working on developing their own content marketing strategies and producing quality content for their brand. So whatever industry you are in, or however large your company is, you can begin using content marketing to reach and engage your target market today.