28 Oct Ultimate Content Marketing Overview – Complete Guide for 2020
Ultimate Content Marketing Overview – Complete Guide for 2020
Ever since the internet took first place as the tool of the decade for being the fastest method of sharing information across the world, businesses and marketers have seen a great opportunity to use it for advertising and promoting their products and services.
This was the introduction of content marketing to the digital era.
In this article, we are going to dive deeper into the world of content marketing to find out what makes it so suitable for growing a business.
And of course, we are going to provide you with a few useful tips and tricks that you can potentially use to your advantage.
Before we start, however, we are going to take a trip down memory lane and find out when this incredible marketing method was used for the first time.
The Roots of Content Marketing
As odd as it may sound, the first time content marketing was put to practice was in the late 19th century when a magazine called The Furrow released a publication in which farmers could find useful information about growing their business.
The reason why this left the impression of a marketing strategy worth investing in is that it was the first type of advertising and promotion that established a connection between the business and the target audience.
It wasn’t long before other businesses started experimenting with content marketing.
The next one on the list to try this just a couple of years later was the French tire company Michelin, which published a 400-page guide on travel advice and auto-maintenance.
When companies saw the benefits and effective content marketing brought to the table, it quickly became a trend that everyone caught up with.
Content Marketing in the Present Day
A couple of things have changed throughout the years as content marketing has continued to evolve.
But one thing has remained the same – this marketing method is still one of the best options for businesses.
With the rise of the internet, large companies took their focus off of billboard and cable TV advertising. They concentrated more on the digital sphere, which involves computers, smartphones, and the internet.
According to statistics, content marketing is three times more efficient in terms of leads than outbound marketing on average.
To be more specific, the method has become so popular that more than 60% of B2C marketers use content marketing strategies, while 80% of marketers revealed they were ready to invest even more in this method so they can continue to develop and expand their business in new ways.
In the final analysis, what makes content marketing stand out from other methods of advertising and promotion is its ability to define and engage with an audience.
Down below, we are going to share a few facts and tips about content marketing useful to anyone who wants to improve their strategy and have the best content out there.
So have a look and see what are some of the must-do things in content marketing.
Content Marketing’s Must-Know Facts and Rules
The world of content marketing is based mostly on the ruthless competition.
Putting out content and turning it into a monthly income depends solely on the strategy that the business is using and its commitment to creating as much quality content as possible.
And now, we are going to show you how to do all of this – the right way!
Here are things you should know and bear in mind:
1 – Content Builds Trust
Recent statistics reveal that 61% of the audience purchased after reading recommendations on a blog.
This only goes to show that businesses that post on blogs regularly have a 126% increase in traffic than those which don’t.
In other words, the more content you put out there, the more your audience connects with you.
As a result, your chances of selling a product or a service drastically increase.
2 – Generate Inbound Leads
As much as 90% of content marketers focus on using content marketing to generate inbound leads.
According to recent research, 53% of businesses value content creation the most, while 72% say that content marketing increased their leads as well as engagement with their audience more than other types.
3 – Blog/Social Media Posts
We briefly mentioned how important blog posts are, and now we are going to explain why.
More than 71% of B2B buyers read blog posts.
This prompted more than 66% of marketers who wanted to stay up to date to implement blog posts on various social media platforms.
And as far as research shows, more than half of the traffic that goes through the blog is looking for opinions and recommendations.
4 – Consistent Content Distribution
If you want to build a familiar and consistent target audience that regularly comes back to your blog and reads your posts, you must put in the effort of consistently delivering the content at a known time, several times a week.
WordPress is the undisputed leader in the blogging world. Statistics show that over 400 million people visit WordPress sites each month.
What’s more, nearly 118 billion words were published on WordPress in 2016.
And while quantity is not nearly as important as the quality, it does play a substantial role in the world of content marketing.
5 – Spreading Brand Awareness
Studies reveal that more than 72% of marketers believe branded content is more effective than traditional advertising, with more than 91% of readers more likely to choose popular-brand products over unbranded ones.
This means that while you should focus on your content and building an audience, you should also try to create a recognisable name for your brand.
6 – Content Marketing Saves Money
Content marketing in the digital era costs 62% less than traditional types of marketing.
What’s more, the majority of marketers experienced a significant drop in their spending after switching to digital marketing.
However, less expensive doesn’t mean less effective, as the conversion rates are shown to be six times higher when a business uses content marketing.
These few steps are essential to building a content marketing strategy that will not just grow and expand but show results as well.
With this in mind, we are switching to our next most notable topic about the importance of content marketing.
The Importance of Content Marketing in the Business World
The number of companies, businesses, websites, and organised groups which use content marketing to reach their goal is growing every single day.
And as we mentioned above, the competition can be quite ruthless.
This is why it doesn’t matter if you are starting or you are already a huge business owner.
If you want to stand out in the crowd truly, you need to know how to utilise the tips and rules we mentioned above successfully.
While content marketing is best when used to promote a product or service, throughout the years, marketers have experimented with various methods of using this technique and discovered that there was a 68% increase in the usage of visual-audio content in B2C marketing.
In other words, this means that the best way to reach more of your target audience is to use audio/video enriched content.
Not only does it gain and maintain the attention of the viewers, but it also helps to better present and demonstrate how fantastic your product or service is.
It gives you freedom of expression and helps connect your brand to a specific type of content that you cannot ignore.
Now that we are on the topic of the digital era of content marketing, we can’t go without mentioning blogging as one of the best ways to turn a hobby into a profession.
The total number of blogs in 2019 is estimated to be more than 30 million, with more than five million blog posts published every day.
These days, the number of people who monetise their posts and blogs to make a living is growing, and with it, the types of blogs that exist.
For example, the latest trending blogs are filled with images, information, interactive content, and educational videos.
Why Content Marketing Is Better
All it takes is just one quick look at the results content marketing is providing for businesses.
We can say without a doubt; it is the best marketing method in this day and age.
The reason why content marketing truly stands out is that, unlike basic advertisements and promotions on cable TV, here you can personalise the content and have something to offer to every type of audience.
And it doesn’t end there. The ability for readers to provide feedback and their opinion on some issues provides data for the business on where the content should improve.
There isn’t a better way to both improve your business and connect with the people who help you do so.
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