Content is still king in today’s marketing strategies and there are no signs of an early abdication. If you want to reign over all you promote, then you need to make sure that your website and blog are bejewelled with engaging, creative content to attract your loyal subjects.

“Content isn’t king, it’s the kingdom.” Lee Oddin

Five top reasons why putting effort into your online content will expand your empire:

1. Answer questions and Google will like you
Asking questions is the most common use of Google searches, so if you use your web content to answer those questions then the Google ranking gods will look favourably upon you (a.k.a Search Engine Optimisation). Creating relevant and engaging content means that your site will be seen by more people, more often. In a nutshell, less quality content means your site will be less visible.

2. Lead by example and listen
Strong content enables you to position yourself or the company as an expert in your field. Show that you know what you’re talking about and people will be drawn to hearing more about your experiences. Heck, you might even be seen as a thought leader or able to kick-start your keynote speaker career, but don’t miss the opportunity to make it a two-way conversation. If you open up a dialogue with your customers there are many benefits and it can be a real boost to your brand, but through non-verbal or more subtle responses you can learn a lot from your online audience as well – what do they click on, how long do they spend on which pages, did they subscribe or purchase, what prompted conversions etc etc. Use all the data you have available to improve the user experience, tweak your content and make it more relevant.

3. Tell your brand’s story
You have the floor, this is your chance to let customers know more about your company, the services you offer or product features. Ads can rarely convey the full message that you have the opportunity to share on your web, blog or email. If they’ve come to your website and haven’t bounced, then they are eager to learn more, so give visitors the information that they crave, make it appealing and easy to find.

4. Build trust
Let me start by saying all content is not good content. To build trust in your company, everything you display online needs to be presented professionally, carefully proofed and error-free. If your daggy website has typos and out-of-date details, that sets off warning bells to potential customers. If you were going for an interview you probably wouldn’t turn up in your couch wear, same applies to your website, blog, emails and social media posts – presentation matters. Put on your Sunday best outfit and people will notice, then create a connection and hopefully they will be looking forward to seeing you again soon!

5. The proof is in the purchases
Even without a heavy sales pitch we know that content does sell. The more creative and relevant your content is, the more likely you are to engage with your customers and make them feel confident hitting the buy button or calling your company. It’s also a very trackable sales channel, so you can set your targets to measure your return on investment.

“Content marketing is the only marketing left.” Seth Godin

These five are only a few of the reasons why content marketing is here to stay and there are many more advantages, such as loyalty, advocacy, generating leads, creating buyer personas, and most importantly, your customers will love it!

Today companies are ranking content marketing above big data, artificial intelligence and social media as the single marketing initiative that could have the biggest impact on their business. It covers many different aspects of your digital activities, but it doesn’t have to be daunting or too difficult to start. For assistance with any of your content campaigns you can contact Sue Elliot Online for easy and affordable solutions.

Photo by Debbie Fan on Unsplash