Content marketing is a self-explanatory and straightforward idea. It is a method that focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a target audience online. (Usually to a specific buyer persona.) The content could include informative blog posts, ebooks, webinars, or even a podcast. Since this method primarily focuses on using the "worldwide web," the possibilities are endless as it opens access to people across the world! (Of course, you can focus on whichever ideal demographic fits your business needs.)
Your content should be relevant to your potential customers and the product or service you create. Additionally, it should provide some value to your customers, such as information or entertainment. An excellent example of content marketing is this blog post that you are reading right now! After a bit of education and trust-building, you can suggest to the reader an even high-quality offer for some small info, such as their email address, in return. This method now allows you to communicate together further!
Benefits of Content Marketing
One of the main benefits of content marketing is to increase your business's visibility. For example, you likely found this blog post by already following Lighthouse IT Solutions and the content it produces or by searching for specific information and finding this post. By getting to this post, you have come to recognize our blog, as well as the content we produce. Content marketing introduces new potential customers to your business and builds engagement with them. Having interactive items on your website/blog can help make your business more noticeable by search engines and express authority.
It is vital to establish a relationship with your leads and customers. As mentioned earlier, one of the likely reasons you are reading this is that you were already aware of Lighthouse IT's blog, meaning that you have a relationship with us (even if it is just a small, impersonal one.)
By providing more content that your customers appreciate, it is easier to strengthen and maintain a bond. This bond can now transition to the next level. Conversion of leads will be much smoother since they have had plenty of time to form an idea of what your company is all about and if they see themselves as a suitable partner.
How to Start Content Marketing
One of the best and easiest ways to start content marketing is to create a blog for your business. A blog provides you with a centralized place to access all the content you create, such as articles teaching about topics relevant to your field. You can then build a network of topics that all link to each other, making what is known as a topic cluster. If you feel that a blog is not appropriate for your business, only having a page on your website dedicated to centralizing access to all the content you produce is okay too.
Some additional ideas include: podcasts discussing your industry/business, guides or checklists on the products or services you offer, or even potentially DIYs readers could use. The important thing is that content you create needs to be relevant to your business and your customers, and it needs to offer some value to them.
Content marketing might require more work than some of the more traditional methods. However, it can also have a much greater reward of an increased networking and customer base, with a greater fondness for your business and the value it offers to them.
If you are interested in getting started with content marketing and would like a helping hand, Lighthouse IT Solutions' Momentum Growth is just the thing you need! Momentum Growth offers inbound marketing solutions, such as assistance with content creation, chatbots, landing page creation, search engine optimization, and so much more!
Get in touch with us today and we'll help you turn your digital efforts into a 24/7 salesperson.