|
How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW
oday's Internet-savvy buyers are hungry The good news is that by following the roadmap for content. And not just any content . presented here, you will be well on your way to valuable, relevant content that offers delivering content that is vital and relevant to sTolutions to their problems and helps them lead your target market, and therefore, positioning successful, productive, enjoyable jobs and lives. yourself as the company they'll turn to when However, they are also inundated by thousands the time comes to buy. Integrating a content of marketing messages every day, most of marketing strategy isn't easy, but as you'll see which they ignore. To get through, you need to below, it is imperative to growing and sustaining communicate differently-you need to do more a profitable business.than just sell products and services. You need to provide information. Smart marketers know this and are creating strong brand relationships by Content Marketing Definedproviding good, authoritative, even leadership- Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly type content. Already, the average business what your customers need to know, and delivering it marketer spends 30% of their marketing budget to them in a relevant and compelling way to grow your on the creation and execution of content. That business.number could increase to 50% very soon, as This extends way beyond the offering of product the economic climate is triggering marketers information, and into the realm of best practices, to pay attention to the use of strategic content case studies, success stories, thought leader-even more. A December 2008 Junta42 study ship, and more. Once you have delivered relevant found that 56% of marketers are increasing their content, you become a trusted resource.content marketing spending in 2009 (with only Content marketing enables companies to build a 4% decreasing). Content is now the engine that level of trust among their customers that makes makes marketing go. it easy for those customers to buy. This is easy to In 2007, Forrester research showed that 90% say but hard to do because it almost certainly of purchasing decisions begin online. In most means changing the way you think and act about cases, before buyers have personal contact with marketing.you, they are already armed with information about your company, your people, your products. This is true whether they plan to buy office equipment or machine tools.What this means for you is opportunity-an opportunity to educate potential buyers about your industry, possible solution choices, best practices, and the right questions to ask. In this way, you have already begun a relationship that will make it easier for them to buy. That's what content marketing is all about. In essence, the customer has initiated a conversation with you before you even know they are interested in your products and services. Case in Point: MotorolaSounds easy enough, right? Wrong. The Motorola is an example of a company that is majority of organizations are set up to creating and executing valuable and relevant sell products and services, not to create content (mostly online) to become a trusted and deliver consistently valuable editorial partner and resource to customers. Fifty-percent products. That's why the content execution of Motorola's revenues come from B2B ($36.6 seems so unnatural to most businesses. billion in total revenues, $18 billion in B2B, 2007),
2How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW
and the company is first or second in market available to successful marketing professionals.share in 80% of its B2B customer segments. By delivering content that is vital and relevant to your Everything Motorola does revolves around the target market, you will begin to take on an important customer. Its two most important objectives for role in their lives.getting new business are: 1) customers must You don't have to be a big, powerful brand with trust Motorola first and 2) Motorola must show a huge budget and global reach to incorporate the human element (not the technology) in order these strategies. In fact, startups, small- and to sell products and services. medium-size companies, associations, and non-Motorola has found in its marketing that 80% profit groups are all benefiting from rethinking of technology buyers use the web as their how they market their products and... [download for more]
|
