One new marketing strategy puts the humanity back in communication. Content Marketing is the way forward for businesses who wish to make honest and lasting connections with their customers.
Why Market Differently?
Is is nearly impossible today to engage with a media source and not be presented with some sort of advertising. Some of the most pioneering technology appearing is in this field - both streamlining for businesses or blocking it from over-saturated customers.
It is a pretty common attitude, especially for the younger generation, that the higher quality a media outlet is, the fewer advertisements they will see. Businesses have tried to fight this mindset by offering subscription services without ads, pleading with clients not to use ad blocking plugins, or even refusing to allow users with these blockers from interacting with their site.
These may seem like solutions, but they do not reach out to the core problem. Young consumers are tired of one-off advertising being blasted at them at every chance, and unlike the older generations, they can cut out much of the noise if they so desire.
So how does a business connect with these consumers? What can businesses offer to customers that differs from old fashioned marketing techniques? The answer is the newest and most popular service smart businesses are turning to: content marketing.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is the act of providing consistent and unique resources for your customers. This can come from personal experience, a company’s particular expertise, or the input of customers. Content such as this comes in the forms most common with digital popular media, such as blogs, magazines, podcasts, apps, etc.
These resources are targeted and demographically planned, of course, as any piece of marketing is, but have more than one goal in their execution. The point of content marketing is to provide consumers with useful and relevant information that they can use to improve, or at least update, their own views.
Content marketing allows businesses to express their desire to bring in customers in more personal and fun ways. A business owner wants their consumers to have the same passion for their industry that they do. And while matching the enthusiasm of a business owner is seldom possible for a customer off the street, it is possible, with the right tools, to begin a valuable conversation between those behind the counter and those in front.
Value is key. Customers want to be more informed. They want to know you care about your business enough to share about it. They want to find out new information and feel validated when they make decisions based on it. These experiences are valuable for the customer, and being a trusted resource is always a bonus for any business.
What Can My Business Add to the Market?
Your business has a distinct and important viewpoint. It is always beneficial if your customers can access that information and use it to begin to see their buying decisions the same way that you do - valuable and well informed. Old fashioned marketing often has the flavor of this useful input, but none of the substance. Few people have ever walked away from a TV commercial feeling more well rounded and insightful. And even if the marketing is full of information, a consumer is more likely to dismiss it as a sales pitch.
The bottom line is this: content marketing is honest marketing. Of course your opinion in a blog or podcast is swayed toward your business. But if the voice speaking out to the public is more than a faceless business name, your customers will see more than a blatant advertisement. They will see an industry professional and build an opinion based on information that you think is worth sharing. They will see a hard working business person who is fighting for their custom. They will see a goods and services they can trust.
Because almost all of the world’s information is free for all to see, customers are now more discerning when it comes to making decisions. Providing them with the information they want, not a barrage of the same old marketing, is key to starting to build real connections. Often it can feel as if the relationship between business and customer is more anonymous than it ever has been. That is true to some extent, but it is not, as many seem to believe, an unsolvable problem.
Giving customers honest and valuable insight is one key to breaking down the modern barrier of screens. Do not be afraid to show what you know and share your passion with the public. Start blogging, build trust, and enjoy new and authentic conversations with your customers!
