Content is king!
It is said that content is king. That is certainly the case with the current internet, as strong content drives success on websites, social media sites, and everywhere else. Compelling content adds credibility to your organization and brands, increasing the likelihood of conversions and leads, while also driving visibility and improving website search optimization.
What makes content effective?
Content is strong or effective when it is relevant to your target audience (customers, prospects, etc.) and useful in some way. “Useful” is a very broad term however, as content can be helpful for researching a problem, informative for determining what product or service meets your needs, or simply entertaining. Valuable content, regardless of type (web page, blog post, video, case study, white paper, infographic, etc.) can also broaden the reach of your organization or message as people share it or syndicate it via their social channels and networks, promoting your expertise and extending your brand touchpoints beyond your website.
Whilst there are many companies still adjusting to the idea as well as the effort required to create content, because they cannot always quantify the ROI on the process, here are some reasons why good content is important:
1. It builds a community of loyal customers
Giving good free information out can build a tightly-connected community of customers who are loyal to your brand which they have chosen to follow. By giving your customer community valued content for following you, they have a reason to invest time in your brand. If you publish content at regular intervals, followers effectively ‘check-in’ with your brand.
2. It makes your brand an authority
Quality content delivered on a regular basis makes your brand an authority on your subject. Being an authority is important as it builds trust and trust is something that customers make purchasing decisions on.
3. You get to know your customers
Content – when delivered through social media allows for feedback. It means you can gauge your customers’ attitude and get to know their needs and demographic better. Content at its best can inspire discussion, allegiance, provoke thought and get everyone talking.
4. Generating content improves SEO
Here’s one that we know all too well at LMWS. Good quality content is gold for SEO. If you decide to generate a blog with quality content and connect it to your brand this can have positive repercussions. Long gone are the days of writing poor quality keyword-loaded copy on websites and blogs. Context, meaning and genuinely good, relevant writing will not only be picked up by customers for a read but also by search engines as a preferred ranking.
5. Content adds value
There is a new rule in business – that whatever business you are, you now need to also be a publisher to be competitive. People expect your business, your website and your brand ambassadors (whether that’s managers, staff, hired freelancers or even customers) to deliver insight or entertain. People want to go to your website and social media because they get something worthwhile back from the experience. Using video for short films, posting amusing pictures, delivering handy and helpful guides will make your website worth returning to as a routine.
When it comes to the actual value of good content, there are a lot of statistics, but in the survey conducted by TMG Custom Media & Marketing Tech Blog, they really put the nail in the coffin on the question of whether or not customers find custom content useful.
90% of consumers said that they find custom content useful in one way, shape or form.
Need I say more about good quality content for website?
As the statistics show, there is no doubt that custom content, when providing value to customers, is of great use to readers who are trying to decide on the product or service they want to purchase.
The key to creating good content as a company or brand is by understanding the audience that will be reading your content. By understanding who they are, what drives their behavior, and why they buy, you will be able to create “good content” that answers their questions, meets their needs, and makes a good first impression.