If you’ve never heard the saying “Content is King,” then it is something that you should add to your vocabulary. It’s as relevant today in 2022, as it was when it was first coined by Bill Gates back in 1996. But, what is it about content that is so important? And why is it crucial in order for you to hit your modern marketing goals? In this article, we’ll talk you through everything you need to know.
Powerful content builds trust
Content marketing is a critical step in building a trusting relationship between you and your audience. By creating powerful content, you get the opportunity to interact with your prospective customers while addressing some of the questions that they have been dying for an authority to answer. The key is to create amazing content that is valuable, without asking for anything in return. That way, there’s no “catch,” instead a simple and honest transaction. When you do this consistently, and keep your content as captivating as possible, your audience will not only see more of you, but they will tune in when they do, thus improving your reputation. And of course, since your content is always going to be associated with your brand, make sure that it meets your brand standards and carries the voice you would like to put across. We reckon that the best way to cultivate brand trust is by being more human.
The fact is, practically every consumer (you the reader included) would prefer to get to know a brand via quality content, rather than advertisements. Optimised user-generated content comes into play here. 70% of consumers feel that businesses who take the time to create new and regular content are more trustworthy because they are putting the customer’s needs first.
It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
The best content increases conversion rates
The content that you produce directly influences the number of conversions that you get from your content marketing strategies. People are far more likely to react positively toward your business once they’ve engaged with your content. When you provide quality content on a consistent basis, they will feel a deeper connection and, as mentioned above, level of trust. This is why the best content marketing strategies focus on building a connection between the brand and customer. That very connection is what drives people to sign up to newsletters and purchase products. Remember, try not to harass your audience by adding a call-to-action on every single piece of content you produce. There are subtler ways to convert that are less hard-sell and more empathetic. We’ve got some ideas in our lead generation explainer blog.
Quality content improves social media performance
It’s no secret how important social media platforms are with regards to marketing today and as such, it is vital that you do not neglect these valuable tools. When you add social media content marketing into your overall business strategy, you will be significantly improving the overall success of your marketing efforts.
Of course, in order to achieve that, your content needs to be powerful. So, think about creating the kind of content that will trend and subsequently increase your following.
By creating a consistent, positive experience for your audience, you’ll have a greater chance at converting them into business, particularly as you gain more and more traction (the bigger the net, the more fish you’ll catch.) Brand awareness and audience research (including empathy mapping) is crucial to creating this kind of content. You need to understand what drives your audience and what kind of content they are more likely to engage with on the various social media platforms in question.
Engaging content keeps your audience coming back
You want your audience and followers to hang around your brand as often as possible. The better the content you produce, the more likely they will be to stick around (and keep coming back for more.) Ultimately, when you retain your audience and create a positive brand impression with a solid brand strategy, not only will it boost your reputation, but your sales will increase. It’s a wonderful bonus indeed. Again, creating killer content is an essentiality. You won’t keep audiences returning for more if your content doesn’t resonate with them or outshine your competitors.
Content is a huge part of SEO
No matter what, when you are producing quality content and sharing it with the world, it can only aid your search engine optimisation efforts. This is because you will have identified the key buzzwords and topics that your audience are interested in.
So, not only can you engage more with your audience and benefit them, but the likes of Google, and other search engines who are constantly harassed with all-manner of queries regarding your industry, will have quality content to direct people to—quality content that you created.
Generate more leads through powerful content creation
There are few things quite as successful for organic lead generation than creating powerful content. Your customer will have to see your great content if they are to develop an interest in your brand. The more you do this, the more you can nurture those prospective customers who need a little bit more faith in a brand before they take the proverbial plunge. Certainly, CTA’s play a big role in lead generation, but sometimes, when your content is that good, a call-to-action isn’t necessary; sometimes a consumer resonates with your brand on such an emotional level that they decide to choose your business over your competitors. The aim is to entertain, inform, and wow your audience so that they are more likely to convert into loyal customers.
Become the authority in your field you want to outshine your competitors in every aspect of your business and that means more than simply providing a superior product or service. Once your audience comes to understand that they can rely on you to provide valuable content, consistently, they will begin to recognise you as the main authority in your industry. Not only does this method of content creation bolster trust, increase your SEO efforts, and lead to more conversions, but before long you will develop a solid reputation for being the main authority among your competitors.
The takeaway…
When you think of the phrase: “Content is King,” look at it this way. You can’t rule your kingdom successfully and keep your constituents happy if you never engage with them. So, build it, give the people what they want, and reign supreme, your majesty.
Stay in the loop with our other resources on creating powerful content. We tell you the secret to good content creation, when to bring in the experts to use a content creator for your business, and why you should set objectives for organic (and how to do it!) Finally, our 5 secrets to creating content will have you covered. And to see an uplift in your content marketing, chat to us by booking in a 15-minute virtual coffee chat and telling us about your grand plans here.
