In 2014, the Content Marketing Institute published a study saying that 90 percent of businesses are using content marketing in some capacity, up from 86 percent of business the previous year. We know that a lot of people are using content marketing, so what does that mean for your brand? With more companies allocating budgets to content marketing—24 percent in 2014—that means more opportunities to reach customers through content marketing efforts. So, why is content marketing so important, and why should invest your time in it?

The Benefits of Content Marketing

Above all, content marketing is one of the best marketing strategies for driving traffic to your site. Without writing relevant content, your search engine rankings will suffer, and less people will visit your site.  By creating thoughtful, well-written content regularly, you are feeding the search engines with information about your business, and providing a channel for customers to find you.

Brand Awareness

Branding ties in with content marketing. You want to promote your brand and, hopefully, in the process become an authority in your niche. When you write an article, create an infographic (yes, graphics count as content marketing), or publish a longform article, you are promoting your brand. This is why it is important to know your audience: certain audiences respond to more formal articles, whereas another group of customers might enjoy reading fun, informal content. Customers associate your content with your business, making content marketing one of the most powerful methods for converting visitors to your site.

Search-Engine-Friendly Content

Search engines love content: the more content, the better. In recent years, blogs and articles have shifted away from the keyword-stuffed, irrelevant content that littered the internet many years ago; instead, content marketing is information-dense, relevant, and natural. You have to consider how Google, for instance, looks at content. When it sees a well-research article with a lot of relevant links filled with great information, they take that into consideration. And when you produce content of this quality regularly, you will naturally rise in the rankings.

Content Marketing Increases Trust

Do you want customers who return to buy your product or service? Then content marketing is the cheapest, most effective marketing strategy for you. Customers tend to trust companies who take the time to create content targeted to their needs. For example, say you are a construction company, and most of your customers are business in the area looking for a reliable construction company who will address common issues they have experienced with other contractors. You might then write articles on common issues with construction companies and how your business differs. By addressing your audience’s reservations with a product or service, they are more likely to buy from you time and again. Building strong relationships between companies and customers is the core of content marketing and partly why it has become so successful as a marketing strategy.

Lastly, we know some companies don’t have the time to create weekly or daily content for their businesses, and that’s why hiring a digital marketing company like Organically Interactive can be one of the best investments you have ever made. If you are looking to outsource your content marketing, we’d love to hear from one. Contact us today, or drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter.