For centuries, we’ve relied on traditional advertising to tell potential customers what they should buy and why.
The truth is that traditional marketing is still very present. However, we’ve also witnessed how digital marketing has outranked TV, radio, and newspapers.
Search engines and social media have given a new platform to marketers and advertisers to show their products or services.
Most importantly, they have given consumers purchasing options that are quick, reliable, and secure.
As a business owner, how are you going to play in the new era of digital marketing? Are you prepared for the new demands of marketing? Do you think you can succeed without adapting to trends like AI, Machine Learning, etc…?
Let’s see how content marketing is changing the game and hopefully help you uncover some ways you can get on board.
How Content Marketing is Changing the Game
1. More & More Businesses are Adopting Content Marketing
In recent years, content marketing has been receiving a lot of attention from brands.
According to the State of Content Marketing 2022, 90% of marketers using content marketing plan to continue investing the same amount in the channel in the coming years.
This is enough to say that content marketing is now a standard in digital marketing and is a profitable marketing channel.
When we look at this graph from Google Trends, we can see how the term “content marketing” is still a talking point amongst marketers and businesses.
This tells us that businesses or brands or marketers are actively searching for content marketing topics on Google, which is a great signal of how relevant content marketing is.
However, although many businesses have already bought into the idea of creating and publishing valuable content to generate new leads and sales, creating high-quality and engaging content on a daily basis comes as a challenge, especially for small business owners who don’t have the budget to outsource this part of their business strategy.
2. Content marketing is Transforming the Way Consumers Interact with Brands
Unlike traditional marketing, nowadays consumers can interact with a brand’s content.
And since there are various types of content, like videos, blog posts, quizzes, and so on, consumers can choose from a wide variety of information and create their own experiences.
It’s now up to consumers to decide what content they find interesting and informative.
They can curate their own experience, as they find stories relevant to them on social media and are more inclined to share them with their friends.
And although this is a great feature of content marketing, it also makes marketers work harder to create interesting and engaging content to keep consumers’ attention.
Content marketing has helped bring more transparency between brands and their customers.
Moreover, consumers are now more confident to find out more about a service or a product through content and once they do, they are more likely to interact with the brand and explore it further.
3. Consumers are More Aware of What They Are Buying
Content marketing is transforming the way consumers interact with ads and products they may want to buy.
Today, when looking at an ad, consumers are more likely to consider it as another piece of content that they either like or dislike.
They tend to focus on what they want to learn from it and whether or not it is adding value.
Content marketing empowers consumers by giving them the ability to make their own decisions based on the information they consume.
This is the most effective way to engage consumers who have a lot of options in front of them.
4. Content Marketing is a New Marketing Process
Content marketing is a process that allows businesses to create their own unique and valuable content in order to keep their customers informed.
Content marketing has changed the way small businesses can engage with a specific target market.
Employing a “voice of the customer” approach helps companies to determine what features and benefits should be added or removed on any given product, which then gives them a great opportunity to improve their products or services without having to spend too much money on production and advertising.
5. Content is the New Sales Tool
Content marketing is truly a great way to interact with your audience.
And we’re seeing it more and more that content is the new sales tool businesses are utilizing to attract potential customers.
Content can help businesses show how great they are and give consumers a better understanding of the product or service they want to buy.
Content marketing is a way to be seen as an authority in your industry. It’s the best way to build credibility, trust, and a positive image in the eyes of your target audience.
Instead of selling your products directly, content marketing is a great way to attract potential customers to your website and convince them to purchase your product or service, through a cycle of nurturing.
When you choose content marketing as your way of approaching your audience, it’s a great chance for you to build trust and prove that you are credible and trustworthy.
6. Content Marketing Is Redefining Consumer Loyalty
Customer loyalty has to be the most valuable asset to any business. Many brands are now aware of the importance of loyalty in their business and the impact it can have on their bottom line.
But how can you create loyal customers? That’s where content marketing comes into play. Through content marketing, businesses are able to create and publish highly valuable content.
New businesses or marketers often misunderstand the term “valuable content”.
Valuable content does not only refer to the physical beauty of a piece of content but I really believe it’s all about the ability it has to connect itself with the readers, putting their pain points to light and showing them that your business cares and you have the solution.
This is when customers start to trust you and they become loyal to your brand.
Since content marketing is a great way to communicate with your audience, it’s also a great asset for creating loyal customers.
Through content marketing, you can reach potential customers to let them know that your business is here to solve their problems and make their lives easier.
7. Content Marketing is Mobile-First
The rise of mobile use has completely changed how people use the internet, and all the giants of content have made it clear they are favoring mobile-friendly content.
It is no longer enough to have a quality website or blog, you must also provide a great mobile experience if you want to make it through the top of search rankings both on search engines and social media platforms.
And because of this surge in mobile usage on the internet, Google, for instance, has added mobile experience as a ranking factor.
In order for brands to not lose on opportunities, it is essential that they have mobile-friendly websites that are fast-loading and provide an amazing mobile user experience.
Wrap Up
Content marketing has evolved and will continue to evolve. Knowing how content marketing is changing the game is good but you know what’s best?
Learning how to make your business adapt to the changes in the industry and consumer needs.
The key is to learn new technologies and implement them into your marketing strategy, while still delivering relevant content to your audience.
Be confident in your brand, ideas, and creativity, and take advantage of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning as well as data strategy.
This will help you create a dynamic and reliable brand presence online that will be able to increase sales, and develop loyal customers, leads and profits.