To the uninitiated, content marketing may seem like an excuse for marketing executives to churn out whimsical blogs whenever they have spare time on their hands.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Digital content marketing has become vitally important in securing new customers, driving organic website traffic, and helping entrepreneurs build their brands. “But how and why is content so powerful?” we hear you ask. Don’t panic – we’ve put together a handy guide to address your questions.

What is content marketing and how influential is online content in an increasingly digital world?

Content marketing refers to the creation and publication of online content across a range of formats. Types of content in digital marketing strategies often include – but are certainly not limited to – blogs, infographics, videos, podcasts, interviews, eBooks, white papers, and games.

The purpose behind the strategy is to inform new and existing customers about your brand, products, services, expertise, and any upcoming campaigns or offers. In short, digital content marketing exists to hook people’s attention, therefore encouraging them to invest time and money in a given company.

Publishing great digital content is also an effective way of pushing your website up the ranks of search engines such as Google and Bing. High-quality, informative content brimming with relevant keywords will be favoured by search engine algorithms, therefore increasing the level of traffic to your website, boosting leads and, ultimately, increasing revenue in the long term.

If you’re in any doubt as to the mighty power of online content in today’s digital world, take a moment to absorb some striking statistics. According to a HubSpot’s latest list of marketing statistics. 

Clearly, the influence of online content has never been more potent.

How important is content in a digital marketing strategy?

The power of digital content can sometimes be underestimated as its successes are not always directly measurable. If a piece of your brand’s video content goes viral and racks up thousands of views, for example, you may be left wondering whether it actually impacted your sales revenue at all. What’s more, many marketers are reluctant to craft time-consuming blog posts or long-form research articles if they can’t be sure of their success.

While newcomers to content marketing may find these things frustrating, however, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that content is fundamental to building a strong digital marketing strategy. Here are three reasons why:

1. Content is vital for search engine optimisation (SEO)

With Google currently processing a staggering 3.5 billion search queries every day, you need to make sure your website appears high on their rankings. This is where SEO comes in. Optimising your website to exploit search engine algorithms involves including keywords relevant to your industry, boosting the speed and usability of the site, adding backlinks, and avoiding posting duplicate content.

With Google currently processing a staggering 3.5 billion search queries every day, you need to make sure your website appears high on their rankings. This is where SEO comes in. Optimising your website to exploit search engine algorithms involves including keywords relevant to your industry, boosting the speed and usability of the site, adding backlinks, and avoiding posting duplicate content.

2. Content is educative and creates a loyal customer base

Content that educates potential customers about your goods and services will encourage them to trust your brand. When making a purchase decision, most people want to fully understand their available options and compare the goods and services of different companies. By including education blog posts, ‘about’ pages, videos, tutorials, and more, you will give your business a competitive advantages.

If you work in a sector that is constantly changing and updating, keeping customers informed about the latest developments will help you to secure a loyal customer base who have faith in the expertise of your teams.

Content that educates potential customers about your goods and services will encourage them to trust your brand. When making a purchase decision, most people want to fully understand their available options and compare the goods and services of different companies. By including education blog posts, ‘about’ pages, videos, tutorials, and more, you will give your business a competitive advantage.

If you work in a sector that is constantly changing and updating, keeping customers informed about the latest developments will help you to secure a loyal customer base who have faith in the expertise of your teams.

3. High-quality digital content pays for itself

Developing compelling content is one of the most effective marketing strategies if you want to reap a significant return-on-investment. Just think about how much more attention people pay to Instagram posts, online blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos compared to more traditional marketing strategies such as billboards, television adverts, and physical mail. It makes clear sense to invest your time and effort into channels that are likely to reach people and, if you have quick-working creatives on your team, it doesn’t have to be expensive.  

Developing compelling content is one of the most effective marketing strategies if you want to reap a significant return-on-investment. Just think about how much more attention people pay to Instagram posts, online blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos compared to more traditional marketing strategies such as billboards, television adverts, and physical mail. It makes clear sense to invest your time and effort into channels that are likely to reach people and, if you have quick-working creatives on your team, it doesn’t have to be expensive.  

How does content marketing support digital marketing more broadly?

Top content is vital for supporting other strands of the digital marketing world including:

• Social media: Social accounts that feature click-worthy content are more likely to attract followers. It’s a symbiotic relationship that is both simple and necessary for boosting digital success.
• SEO: You can’t include backlinks or
• Analytics: Analysing the success of your content marketing is a necessary way to gauge the progress of your digital strategy at a broader level.
• PPC: Pay-per-click advertising is sometimes seen as the opposite of content marketing, but it is a great way to promote content and implement slick calls-to-action.

Start you content marketing journey today

So, as this guide has clearly demonstrated, digital content represents the very foundation on which digital marketing strategies are built and should be treated with the attention it deserves. By planning out a focussed and diverse content marketing strategy, you will start to build up a loyal fanbase whose engagement with your brand will facilitate the growth of your business.

How Allsopp Media can help

Are you ready to see your business thrive? Allsopp Media is here to help you plan and implement digital campaigns that work for you and your customers. Thanks to our team of digital content and marketing experts, we can help your business find new audiences and grow into something amazing.