Content Marketing Overload

Monday morning, and I open my email for the first time since Friday late afternoon, only to find my inbox overflowing with—how shall I put it gently?—JUNK!

Actually, it’s not all junk. In many cases, it’s useful information. Stuff I want to read. Information I feel like I need to absorb. And so I drag case studies, links to white papers, blog posts, and even insights from thought-leaders I love into a folder marked: “To Read.”

Never to look at them again.

It’s not that I don’t want to read them. Or that I don’t plan to waste several hours next weekend binge-watching The Great British Baking Show. It’s just that I don’t have an immediate need for any of it. So into the folder it goes.

So Why Are We Doing This Again?

When I first mention content marketing creation to business owners, they’ll often look at me quizzically. They’ll say, “I don’t want to spam people,” or “Who’s gonna read that stuff anyway?”

Additionally, only a small percentage of emails sent out by corporations actually get opened. Even fewer receive a “click through,” in the best of scenarios.

So why create content?

Because compelling content has more than one purpose. It’s not just to dump in people’s inbox on Monday morning. It’s an investment of evergreen material meant to serve your ideal customer and your business for years to come.

5 Reasons to Create and Engage in Content Marketing for Your Business

1. It reminds your customers who you are and what you do.

Just because I don’t have a use for the content that hits my email box today doesn’t mean I’m groaning every time I see an email from a respectful, helpful company. I only groan when I see emails too often or if the writer is always hounding me to buy something.

An author I love, Kate Bowler, emails me to tell me she’s written a new book. She emails me when she has some thoughts on the news. She emails me when she’s written a blog post or released a podcast episode.

Often, I can’t get to her email immediately, but since her content is always good, she succeeds in keeping her brand “top-of-mind.” And when her next book comes out, I’ll buy it without a second thought.

2. It benefits your customer and clients.

Although most of us are in business to make money, almost every business owner I’ve met cares about their customers. They hate seeing them struggle unnecessarily, and they get a kick out of watching them succeed.

Since you probably know something your ideal client does not know, great content shares your knowledge selflessly.  They may not need it today, but when one of them calls you with a problem you’ve already written about (perhaps with the help of a ghostwriter), you can send them to that article with confidence that it’s well-written and helpful.

If you’re known for creating great content on your area of expertise—and you build a wealth of material over time—people will come to your site first when they have a question, knowing that you’ve probably already written about it.

3. It’s source material for other types of content.

Creative marketers are always looking for ways to convert great content into a different form. They ask how they can leverage everything they create for the benefit of you and your efforts to serve people:

• Can this case study become a press release?
• Can this insight piece become a keynote speech?
• Can this video become a thought-leader article on LinkedIn?
• Can this blog post be mined for social media content?
• Can we turn this presentation into an infographic?

The purpose is not just to create lots of stuff. It’s to deliver relevant information that builds brand awareness with your audience in as many ways as possible, increasing the chance they’ll engage with it.

4. It will build your reputation with prospects.

Did you know that:

• Half of the folks who buy what you sell will want to read 3-5 pieces of your content before they’ll get in touch?

• More than 70% of people would rather learn about you through articles than from an advertisement?

• More than 80% of your customers will feel more positive about you after having read your content? And almost all of those will feel closer to your company after having read that content?

People want to read some of what you have to say before they buy from you. They want, even expect, a piece of your expertise for free … and that’s a powerful marketing opportunity.

5. It builds your online credibility.

Have you ever gone to someone’s website, clicked on their blog, and seen that their last post was three years ago? And that their last social media post—a picture of a company picnic—is five months old?

In cases such as these, the prospect may think, “They’re not on top of things, are they?” And in a world where change happens quickly, you don’t want to look like you’re falling behind.

Not only that, Google is watching. They want to know—for SEO purposes—are you active? Are you adding content to your site relevant to its stated goal?

In the world we’re living in right now, it pays to stay on top of your online presence.

Are You Ready to Start Building Your Content Marketing Library?

It can be hard to know where to begin. At Ignite Strategies, we don’t just take “shots in the dark” on your behalf, hoping it turns out well in the end.

After careful research and analysis, we arrive at a plan formulated to help you serve your highest revenue-generating markets in such a way that will establish you as the go-to expert and trusted advisor in their eyes.

We want to help you get going. If you’re interested, let’s chat.