There are a lot of buzzwords that fly around when it comes to marketing. From PPC and frequency to SEO and SEM, there are a lot of words and phrases and acronyms to keep track of as you are navigating marketing your business. 

One of the common terms that gets used a lot is “content marketing.” Content marketing is a catch all term where the meaning changes depending on who is using it and in what context. In this blog post, we’re going to help you understand what content marketing is and why it’s important for your business. 

Content Marketing is Educational, Not Promotional 

One of the key identifiers of content marketing is that it’s purpose isn’t to promote or sell, it’s purpose is to educate and drive awareness. It includes things like educational articles and white papers, videos and webinars, social media posts that give industry insight and more. 

Content marketing answers specific questions people have and provide them answers they can’t get anywhere else. 

For example, let’s say you run a lawn care business. You have identified a great way to edge flower beds that helps to optimize drainage during the spring months while still ensuring that the new plantings get the ideal amount of water. You decide that you want to make a video of your process to show people how to do it.

Because you are the only business in the area using this technique, your business is now providing an inside look at a great way to prepare people’s home gardens for the spring and summer. You are showcasing your technique so if people want to duplicate it at home they can but if they don’t have time or are looking for a new lawn care company that they can trust with their flower beds, they will know that you are the experts. 

Your video has accomplished two things: educating people about a new technique and creating brand awareness for your business. 

Be a Valuable Content Resource

You want your business to get discovered by the right people. Content marketing helps your business rise to the top of search results and social media feeds if you are providing people meaningful content that they are looking for. 

By being an authoritative and credible source, you are helping earn the loyalty and trust of current and potential clients and customers. This not only helps you strengthen your current customer relationships, it helps grow an active and engaged user base, and helps your business be discovered by new clients. 

Content Marketing Takes Work

Content marketing takes a lot of research, engagement, and patience. A simple message of “buy now” or “book now” or “get a quote today” won’t cut it. You need to provide well-researched and meaningful content to your current and potential customers. 

Answering common questions about the service you provide like “when’s the best time to clean our pool” and “how do you properly mulch a garden bed,” is a great place to start. You want to be the source that people go to when they are asking how to do something and to get more information. 

Answering these questions, with the proper SEO, helps your business rise to the top of Google search results and means that it is easier for new customers to discover your business. They will already be pulled in since you have answered their questions and they now see you as a credible authority making them more likely to use your services. 

Content marketing in the form of emails and social media posts also helps keep your current customer base engaged and helps continue to build your authority with them. By continuing to create content, they see that you are actively engaged in your business and want to help further the education about your business. 

A Better Use of Marketing Funds

A lot of companies have started moving towards content marketing and away from more traditional marketing because they see much better long-term results with content marketing. More email subscribers, more website hits, a larger reach on social media and more repeat customers. 

Experimenting with content marketing is a great use of reallocated marketing funds. Even if it’s just for a test of “let’s write 5 blogs and see what happens.”  

Want to get started with content marketing? We can help. Contact the experts at Simply Built today!