In the world of internet marketing everyone is looking for the best way to get rich as quickly as possible, with as little work as possible. While there is no shortage of options to choose from, very few of them ever provide the promised results. One of the biggest trends in digital marketing today is ‘content marketing,’ and many people are buying into the hype. Unfortunately for many, however, content marketing is not actually a trend.
It has long been an effective way to build an audience, and engage readers and potential customers. Recently, however, some people have been trying to turn true content marketing into a get rich quick scheme. John Hall, CEO of Influence & Co, recently wrote an excellent article on this subject for Forbes.com (link at the bottom of this post).
In the article, he explained how content marketing should not be confused with advertising. While advertising is focused on converting sales (among other things), content marketing is about building a long term relationship with potential customers, which will eventually turn into sales. He points out that many brands have gotten into content marketing in the hopes of boosting their return on investment quickly. When that doesn’t happen, they abandon their blogs, newsletters or other content based marketing strategies.
What they need to keep in mind, however, is that if they stick with content marketing for the long haul (months before seeing direct benefits) they will dramatically reduce the cost of new customer acquisition. Content marketing can, and does, work in all industries, when it is done right. The content engages and educates customers, which leads to stronger brand loyalty.
John wrote, “Eventually, an educated lead will see something relevant that triggers a response…We’ve already built the relationship, so the first call the lead makes will be to us.” Essentially what he is saying is that content marketing works because it provides true value to people long before they are even thinking about becoming customers. Months, or years down the road, these people will need a particular product or service, and they won’t need to think about where they will go for it. They will start with the company that has been helping them all along.
The bottom line is, if done properly, content marketing offers unbeatable long term return on investment.
If you’re using content marketing for your business, or even thinking about it, you should take some time to read the Forbes article HERE.
