In a world that is constantly inundated with content, is it really necessary to add more “noise” to the never ending cycle? Consumers see hundreds of ads, blogs, social media posts and emails a day, so is getting noticed even a possibility? Although your clients may get their fair share of content in a day, businesses should consider the unique value propositions of providing content that represents, promotes and enhances their brand. Small businesses with limited marketing budgets can see considerable benefits from content marketing efforts, which, unlike ads, can be implemented for little to no cost. Let’s take a look at the four major value propositions of content marketing:

Improves SEO

Whether it’s social media posts, a company blog or podcast, regular videos, or longer articles such as white papers and e-books, digital content improves your company’s reach, searchability and awareness. With so many companies and sites to compete against online, ensuring clients and visitors can find you in the digital maze that is the web can seem impossible.

The more digital content your business has available, the more chances users have to interact with your brand. The more users interact with your brand, the more value Google sees in your site. Google is designed to help users find material that connects with what they are searching for, but if the only searchable content your company has is your website, you may not be doing enough to get noticed. To be certain, you have to do it well and incorporate keywords that users are searching, but we’ll dive further into SEO content best practices later.

Thought leadership

Content marketing is a great way to present your company, executives and contributing staff members as thought leaders in your field. Presenting your knowledge and ingenuity on a variety of topics in your area of business can be appealing to new and existing clientele, as well as peers in the space. Customers will feel an increased sense of trust in your industry adeptness, which can move them to share your expertise via word of mouth or on social media, further expanding your reach. Thought leadership content is also a great way to be recognized by other businesses or industry leaders, which could lead to partnerships, shared content and increased recognition.

Client education

Creating meaningful content about industry topics, your services, products and software, or recent company/industry news is an ideal way of informing clients and presenting your business as the go-to source for news and education. Educated clients make smarter decisions, feel more aware and confident in your service offerings and place more trust in your business. Successful content marketing does more than just sell your business and the services you have to offer, it focuses on information that benefits the user first and foremost, which will inadvertently market your company as a source for helpful tips, tricks, news and more.

Business development

Powerful content marketing can be a major revenue driver and growth mover if done well. Content that draws in clients, partners and industry leaders can increase your brand presence, open up new business opportunities and create long-term value for your company. Let’s say you share a blog post on LinkedIn, and that post is seen by another business owner who asks if they can share your blog as a guest post on their site. That conversation sparks a partnership of shared content, client referrals and community development that further promotes both businesses online and in your local area. Without that simple piece of content to spark a partnership, you may have lost out on a whole cross marketing venture.

The takeaway

If you’re looking to drive your business goals, improve your visibility and establish your company as a source of education and innovation, content marketing is a great place to start. It’s an ideal way to drive value without sinking too much of your budget and can serve as a gateway into more in-depth marketing efforts.

If you’re interested in ramping up your business’ content marketing efforts, but don’t know where to start, shoot us a message, and we can discuss a strategy that makes sense for your firm.