We’re 3 weeks into the New Year and, like most business owners, I have no doubt you started the year ready to make changes, close more deals, and in general just make your clients happier.

That’s great! So what’s your plan?

You need a realistic and proven approach for finding success. Introducing fancy new software, increasing your sales teams’ bonuses, or sending out Christmas cards are all nice, and certainly don’t hurt – but they don’t build trust with your customers either.

What you need is a solid Content Marketing Strategy. Here are five ways it will help you keep your New Year’s Resolution and build relationships with your clients:

Build Trust – Without the Smoke Show:

Entrepreneur reported that “80 percent of business decision-makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles, versus an advertisement.” Content Marketing lets you share information with people at their speed of choice. They can spend an afternoon reading case studies and blog posts, or they can come and go as they please, taking their time to inform themselves of what exactly it is you’re offering, what the benefit is to them, and what added value you bring to the table. It’s a much calmer experience than having an ad flash unceremoniously in their face, screaming about a discount that ends in five days.

Bonus: By the time they’ve done all of the reading, they’re educated on the product or service and know exactly what they went – and will call you. No more cold calls, no more wasting money on tacky adverts.

Establish Strong Brand Identity – and Create Brand Loyalty

Content Marketing lets you tell your story, and your story is what connects with people on an emotional level. Why do you do what you do? What inspires your top execs every morning? What is the real benefit of your service, and why are you sharing this with the world? Not only does this help customers understand your business and your values, it also builds brand loyalty, enticing them to keep coming back, instead of going to that shop that’s actually closer to their home.

Builds Your Reputation as the Go-To Expert

Content marketing allows you to share your knowledge about your products, industry, and services. Consumers today already know what they want before they ever talk to a salesperson, and they gain that knowledge from content shared online – company blogs, research articles, case studies, and even social media posts. Each time a consumer reads an article you’ve published, you earn more and more of their trust and they begin to build faith in you as an industry expert. You become their go-to source each time they want to verify a claim or find out more! By the time they are ready to buy, they’ll  come to you to make that purchase.

Encourages Engagement

The era of social media was practically made for content marketing. A well-written piece will garner likes and shares from your social media followers – whether they are customers or not. This provides you with an opportunity to respond and open a dialogue, and potentially engage others in the conversation. A great social media presence is key in today’s world – in every industry – but you need great content to put there first. Social media is also a great way to drive that engagement back to your original blog posts, where consumers can learn more about you and your company’s brand, taking those first steps to building brand loyalty and a trusted relationship.

Adds Value for Your Customers

At the very core of content marketing is the idea that it helps separate you from your competition by very clearly demonstrating your value-add to your target audience. What makes you different? Why should they buy your coffee instead of Joe’s down the road? What is the benefit to them? Through case studies, smart anecdotes, and great stories, you can show your customer exactly why they should buy their next cup of java from you – whether it’s because of your expert roasting knowledge, your quality and ethically-sourced ingredients, or buy-local philosophy.  
 

A Bonus for you: It Just Makes Cents

It’s not just fluff; content marketing adds to your bottom line in a big way. Content Marketing produces 62% more ROI than traditional marketing methods do.

Ready to make good on those New Year’s Resolutions? Call us, and we’ll help you get your content marketing strategy on the right track (or risk having the same resolutions in 2019).