Content Marketing Won’t Save Your Business, But It’s a Start

Anytime I hear someone tell me they don’t believe creating original content for their business, a la content creation and marketing, does any good, I can’t help but laugh. It’s not them, personally, I’m laughing at; it’s the idea as a whole. I try to tell myself they just don’t know any better.

They are stuck in the old world way of doing things, which brings images to my mind of businessmen sitting around a table smoking cigarettes, wondering aloud why the phones aren’t ringing and no one is buying what they’re selling. Then someone walks in with a great idea, only to have it dismissed out of hand because it’s different than what they’ve done before.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Now you know how I feel when I hear truly intelligent business professionals talk about content marketing as if it’s just some fad. Analytics and countless studies over the years have clearly proven otherwise.

Content Marketing By the Numbers

For example…

• 61% of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom content. Those consumers also say they are more likely to do business with that company as a result. (Custom Content Council)
• Interesting content is in the top three reasons people follow brands on social media and actively share that brand’s message. (Content+)
• 90% of consumers find custom content useful and 78% believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them. (TMG Custom Media)
• Blogs give websites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links, which means your company is found more easily online. (Content+)
• B2B companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month on average than non-blogging firms. (Social Media B2B)
• The average cost to generate a lead through inbound marketing ($143) is about half the average for outbound marketing ($373). (Exact Target)

Content Marketing Isn’t King, It’s the Kingdom

I could go on, really I could, but I’m concerned about my fingers becoming too stressed out over months spent typing non-stop, crippling me for life. These 10 fancy digits are my livelihood, after all. But back to my point – content marketing matters. I won’t go so far as to say content is king, but it’s pretty important. As Lee Odden has said, “Content isn’t King, it’s the Kingdom.”

If you didn’t already know, Odden is a Digital Marketing and PR guru that has been recognized as one of the top 10 most influential people in the content marketing space. Basically, he’s someone worth paying attention to in our industry.

Effective, unique, and personable content creation can help your business connect with people. Not just for a sales engagement but in a way that is meaningful for them, helping them to believe your message and brand adds value to their life in some way. Advertising isn’t about selling anymore; it’s about adding value and asking your target market what it is they actually want to hear instead of assuming you already know – because believe me, you don’t.