It’s been said that “Content is King.” Who said it? Oh, just some enterprising entrepreneur named BILL GATES. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. In that same essay, published in January 1996, he would go on to write “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting.” And now, 20 years later, his prediction has come true in ways few could have ever imagined.
It’s fair to say that the most popular parts of the Internet comprise an economy not of currency, but of content. Social media, blogging platforms, video sharing sites – all of these things exist solely as a means of producing and distributing content. And though Mr. Gates predicted its necessity two decades ago, it’s only very recently that companies have thought to utilize content as an effective tool for growing their business.
What is Content Marketing?
While content may be the driving force of the digital world at the moment, content marketing is the next step in that evolutionary chain. The Content Marketing Institute defines the term as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, over time, to drive profitable customer action.” Think of it as both the carrot and the stick. You want to entice your audience to follow your lead by stimulating their unconscious desire to learn new things and consume newer content.
As they follow you down the funnel, you can tailor your content to be more and more specific, priming your product or service to resonate with your readers on a personal level and increase the chances of a sale. Creating this type of brand loyalty is essential if your business is to survive in a saturated market.
Why is Content Marketing Necessary?
Simply put: Because your competitors are already doing it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – a little healthy competition has a positive impact on the quality of content being created. In the world of marketing, when you know you need to outclass your competitor, you can’t afford to mail it in. You’re going to put in the extra effort required to get things done. But if words won’t sway you, perhaps numbers will:
- 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing
- 76% of B2C marketers use content marketing
- 67% more leads are generated per month for B2B companies that blog over those that don’t
- Average total of marketing budget for content marketing is 32%
And it’s paying off. Check out the proof:
- 63% of B2C marketers said their infographics were successful
- 65% of B2B buyers report that content had a “significant impact” on their buying decision
- 67% more leads are generated per month for B2B companies that blog over those that don’t
Case Study: Pest Control
The pest control industry is one of the most saturated markets out there. When your home or business has a pest problem, you want it taken care of ASAP. The trouble is, you’ve got local Mom & Pop outfits, regional chains, and national brands all competing with each other for your hard-earned dollar. This is where having a cohesive content marketing strategy really comes in handy. With the right strategy, companies can help build brand awareness and trust in a unique and beneficial way, like we did for one of our own pest control clients.
Up until 2014, we wrote eight blogs a month for, well, let’s call them “Client P.” As part of an acquisitions program, Client P lowered that amount to four. Fast forward a year, and we were investigating a dip in organic traffic to their website. We discovered that because the number of blogs had been lowered, Client P’s website experienced a 13 percent decrease in visitors. All from posting four fewer blogs a month.
Imagine the difference we could’ve made if Client P had utilized our newly expanded Content Marketing program.
Content with a Purpose
There’s a difference between content marketing and just creating content. Content marketing is strategic. It has meaning. That’s why our program at Go Local comes with the promise of “Content with a Purpose.” We don’t just spit out worthless words. We create a means of communication and storytelling that matters to both the client and their consumers.
With a content marketing program from Go Local, we provide:
- Unique campaigns with a strategic approach based on overall client marketing goals
- Extensive fact-finding
- Tactical approaches to content creation designed to support client goals and speak directly to their market
- In-depth KPI reporting for User Engagement and User Conversions
That purposeful content can take the form of anything, from eBooks to infographics, from typographical videos to enhanced blogs. It can be a spruced up webpage or a whole section on a website. Purposeful content is information-sharing in its many forms.
Here’s a list of some of the options we provide to help uniquely shape your custom content marketing program:
- eBooks
- White Papers
- Visual How-Tos
- Infographics
- Enhanced Blogs
- Static Content Pages
- Typographical Videos
A successful marketing program starts with establishing specific client goals. With our program, the content marketing strategy, tactics and reporting are designed to support and measure the success of these goals. In addition to a pre-launch Client Survey, our content marketing program consists of four phases:
- Target Market. Based on Client Survey results, we determine exactly which customers we are talking to, where they shop, what they care about, and how the client will speak with them.
- Content Audit. A multi-faceted, 41-point review of the client’s website that focuses on the quality of web content.
- Strategy Creation. Using the Client Survey, Market Selection and Audit Results, a strategic content plan is born. We then figure out the “how” in “how to measure success” and get started.
- Implementation/Reporting. Content is then distributed on a monthly basis. Custom reporting is included, where we’ll look at User Conversion and User Engagement.
By implementing this strategy of “Content with a Purpose,” we are able to help companies connect with their customers in a more meaningful way than simply begging for likes or retweets. And once the campaign has ended, we can tell our client with confidence: “This campaign was a success. Let’s do it again.”
Go with the Content Marketing Experts at Go Local
Content may still be King, but any good ruler knows they need to engage with the people if they want to be truly successful. With a coherent content marketing strategy crafted by Go Local, your business can stay at the forefront of this online movement and set yourself apart from your competitors fishing for shares on Facebook. Our program is adaptable, specific – but most importantly, it works. Contact us today to learn more.
