Why Content Marketing Is a Worthy Investment

Content marketing is often treated as a magical cure-all for businesses: It costs less than traditional outbound marketing and has the potential to generate a great deal of traffic and conversions.

However, content marketing is not for everyone. In a previous article, I argue that businesses need to carefully consider whether content marketing works for their company before deciding to invest in it. 

For some, it may not be worth it because of high costs, low ROI, or difficulty measuring results.

This article argues that content marketing is an effective marketing strategy that can provide a variety of benefits, and it outlines how to make content marketing work for your company.

Why You Should Invest in Content Marketing

If properly maintained, the advantages of a content marketing strategy are numerous. These 3 reasons, in particular, should make you at least consider investing in content marketing. 

1. Content Allows for a Broader Perspective

What sets content marketing apart is that it allows you to appeal to a broader audience.

You may focus your marketing strategy on your ideal customer by creating customer personas and carefully prioritizing selected audiences, but you will inadvertently reach others who may possibly convert.

Content is not as targeted as paid ad campaigns on Google or social media, but it allows marketers to direct users through the awareness, consideration, and decision stages of the buyer’s journey.

2. Content Appeals to Customers Through Emotions

Companies need to engage with consumers beyond just promoting their products and services to compete in a crowded market. Not only do they need to attract, convert, and close customers, but they also must retain them.

Content marketing helps retain customers by building a strong community of supporters and fans around your business. It also engages customers by driving their interest in your products or services.

Specifically, content can appeal to customers’ emotions and create powerful emotional bonds through storytelling. Emotions are experiences, and customers cherish positive experiences above all else.

3. Content Shapes Brand Perception

Content is not just about emotions and experiences; it is also about the end result – brand perception.

In-depth blog posts, sharp infographics, informational videos, and podcasts all increase brand awareness, strengthen your following, and improve your company’s image.

Strong content marketing also establishes your company as an industry thought leader and expert.

For example, content with new, relevant information, such as statistics from an original survey, shows your knowledge and authority on a topic.

As a thought leader, you can exercise your legacy to shape business and consumer landscapes in your favor.

Benefits of Content Marketing

Content marketing can easily make or break your business.

If you do it right, you can reap a multitude of digital marketing benefits, including:

• Higher search engine rankings. Every piece of content you create presents an opportunity for your website to earn links. Websites with blogs also have 434% more indexed pages, on average. With every blog post, you improve your website’s chances to rank higher in more user searches.
• Increased traffic. Websites that run efficient content marketing campaigns generate 7.8 times more website traffic than businesses that do not. High-quality content – or content that is in-depth, well-referenced, and engaging – that is distributed across multiple channels drives more organic traffic to your website.
• Quality backlinks. High-quality content drives high-quality backlinks to your website. Content-rich websites build 97% more links than sites that do not engage in content marketing.
• More leads & conversions. Small businesses with blogs achieve 126% more lead growth than small businesses without a blog. In addition, content marketing converts six times more users into leads and leads into customers than traditional marketing.

Questions to Ask Before Investing in Content Marketing

Despite its potential benefits, content marketing does not guarantee results. A failed investment in content marketing can blow a massive hole in your marketing budget, damage your brand’s reputation, and cause you to lose clients.

Before you invest in content marketing, ask the following questions:

1. Is content marketing a viable option for my business? Ask yourself if your business is prepared to create, share, and promote content. Determine the resources on-hand that can create high-quality content. In addition, you need to make sure you understand the type of content your customers want to read, such as common pain points they experience.
2. Can I support my content marketing efforts through other marketing channels? You need to have a strategy in place to distribute the content you produce. This means budgeting for paid search campaigns, identifying individuals to outreach, pursuing guest posting opportunities, and maintaining your social media accounts.  
3. Who is my audience and what is my measurement for success? Determine how you plan to calculate ROI using relevant metrics. You also need to have a solidified conversion funnel through which your content is designed to transition audiences. Finally, determine what your cost will be to understand the sort of resources you can invest in to strengthen and maintain your content marketing. 

I strongly encourage you to consider each of these questions or hire a content marketing consultant to help you assess the landscape for your business.

Content Marketing Is a Worthy, Long-Term Investment

Content marketing benefits businesses that are ready and willing to invest in it long-term.

A successful content marketing campaign can build awareness and loyalty for your business. As a result, prospects, customers, and repeat buyers will perceive your brand in a positive light.

However, investing in content marketing can be costly. Content marketing requires a lot of time, effort, and money.

Its relatively high cost may explain why some hesitate to invest in a comprehensive content strategy. 

Do not dismiss content marketing without giving it a try.

About the Author

Sergey Grybniak Founder, Opporty

Sergey Grybniak is a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. He has been providing digital marketing services for over 10 years and has successfully completed more than 500 projects. With his vast experience in launching and promoting e-commerce platforms, Sergey helps small- and mid-sized businesses establish a thriving web presence. He is the founder of the digital marketing agency Clever-Solution(link is external), and of online B2B/B2C marketplace Opporty.

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