5 Content Marketing Benefits For Your Business

There are countless content marketing benefits. In fact, today content is a mainstay of just about any marketing strategy. Still, there are plenty of large and small businesses out there who remain unconvinced.

Today, we’re going to explore just some of the core reasons why content should be at the heart of your marketing efforts. Specifically, we’re going to look at some concrete business benefits of content marketing.

But first:

What is Content Marketing?

It’s useful to separate content marketing from other channels. Essentially, this is a strategy which involves creating online materials, like blogs, videos, podcasts and ebooks to help solve your audience’s problems.

This differs from traditional advertising or marketing, in the sense that you aren’t explicitly promoting your own product. Rather, good content seeks to identify your audience’s pain points, and explain how these can be alleviated.

Actually promoting your products or services is secondary.

Content marketing has emerged in the last decade, as consumers have become more and more skeptical of hard selling. Additionally, high quality content can boost your performance across all channels, including SEO, email and social media marketing.
With that in mind, here are five concrete ways that content marketing can benefit your business.

overview of content marketing benefits

1. SEO and Content Marketing

The benefits of content marketing for SEO can’t be oversold. The key thing to understand here is what’s known as search intent. That is, what users want to achieve when they carry out a search.

The majority of the time, the central pages on your website, like your home page or product listings target either transactional or commercial search intents. That is, the user is either trying to buy a specific product or service, or at least research it before deciding who to buy from.

This is important. However, there are limited opportunities. Content marketing allows you to target users with an informational search intent. That is, users who have a particular problem, but don’t yet know which products or services will solve it.

This naturally greatly increases the number of search terms you can rank for.

Additionally, content marketing helps greatly with domain-level ranking factors. Most important among these is domain authority. This is a measure of how credible your site is within your niche. The more high quality content you publish, the more this will improve.

Sure, here is a structured overview of content marketing benefits, covering key areas such as SEO, lead generation, branding, conversions, and costs, along with data backing each area:

SEO Benefits

Content marketing can significantly improve a website’s search engine ranking (SERP), making it more visible to organic search traffic. This is achieved through several factors:

• Keyword Targeting: Content creation allows for targeted use of relevant keywords, increasing the likelihood of appearing in search results for those terms.
• Content Relevance: High-quality content provides relevant and valuable information to users, improving a website’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines.
• Backlink Generation: Engaging and informative content attracts backlinks from other websites, signaling to search engines that the site is credible and valuable.

Data:

• A study by BrightEdge found that content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing.
• Hubspot research indicates that businesses that blog regularly generate 434% more leads than those that don’t.

2. Build Authenticity and Trust With Your Customers

At ProfileTree, we’re big believers in brands acting as media companies. The reason that we put content at the heart of our marketing strategies is that this is the best way to build strong customer relationships, especially for online businesses.

There are a number of reasons why this is so crucial. One of the most obvious is the amount of contact that content marketing creates between brands and their customers. Naturally, this creates plenty of opportunities to show off your expertise, or the benefits of your products.

Beyond this, more and more consumers take brand values as a top decision factor when making a purchase. As such, content marketing is a crucial channel for building trust in consumers and demonstrating your shared values.

3. Improve your Engagement Across Marketing Channels

It’s no secret that engagement is more difficult to achieve on just about every channel nowadays. Social media algorithms are privileging sponsored posts. Email marketers are struggling to get recipients to open their messages, as they’re bombarded with sales and marketing.

One solution here could be to pump more and more money into Facebook ads, or growing your mailing list. However, this is a losing game. It’s always better to work smarter than it is to throw money at a problem.

Quality content marketing is the key here.

Besides written content, video and audio content are fantastic for boosting engagement across all channels. These both reduce the barriers to engagement compared to copy-based posts and emails, as users don’t have to put as much effort into consuming your content.

In other words, content marketing is a cost effective way to boost the success of your marketing campaigns, eliminating the need to spend big on the likes of lead generation or PPC advertising.

4. Content Marketing for Customer and User Retention

One of the great challenges for any business is to maximise the lifetime value of your customers. This is the total amount that the average customer will spend from their first to their last purchase.

There are two ways to increase this:

1. Increase average order values,
2. Improve customer retention.

Content marketing helps massively with both of these.

Another important thing to realise is that most people won’t make a purchase the first time they visit your site. This proportion shrinks the more expensive your products are. As such, it’s crucial to come up with a strategy to make users return to your site until they convert into customers.

This requires what’s known as a lead magnet. This is anything that you offer to your customers in exchange for their email address. Premium content, like webinars, ebooks or whitepapers are an excellent option.

Even without using lead magnets, sites which regularly publish content are far more likely to convert users on the first visit:

5. Future-Proofing Starts Now

One of the main reasons that content marketing has grown so rapidly is that it’s what the major online platforms like Facebook and Google are pushing. This is because it suits their business models.

That is, these giant tech companies build their operations around maximising the amount of time that users spend on their platforms. As such, one of the main content marketing benefits is helping you to get in the good books of these platforms.

It’s also important to recognise that they heavily push content marketing, because they have determined that this is what modern consumers respond best to.

Branding Benefits

Content marketing plays a crucial role in establishing and strengthening brand awareness, identity, and reputation. By consistently producing relevant and valuable content, businesses can:

• Shape Brand Perception: Content communicates a brand’s values, personality, and expertise, influencing how it is perceived by target audiences.
• Establish Thought Leadership: By sharing insightful and original content, businesses can position themselves as industry experts, fostering trust and credibility.
• Build Brand Recognition: Consistent content creation increases brand exposure and familiarity, making the brand more recognizable and memorable to potential customers.

Data:

• A study by Edelman found that 84% of consumers say that brand storytelling helps them make more informed buying decisions.
• A report by Oracle indicates that 70% of consumers prefer to learn about brands through content rather than traditional advertising.

Lead Generation Benefits

Content marketing is a powerful tool for generating leads and nurturing potential customers through the sales funnel. By providing valuable and engaging content, businesses can:

• Attract Qualified Leads: Relevant and informative content attracts potential customers who are interested in the brand’s offerings.
• Nurture Relationships: Engaging content keeps potential customers engaged and informed throughout their buying journey, building trust and rapport.
• Capture Contact Information: Content can be used to capture leads through opt-in forms, newsletters, and other engagement methods.

Data:

• A study by Content Marketing Institute found that 73% of B2B marketers say that content marketing is a core component of their lead generation strategy.
• A report by Marketo indicates that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing while generating three times as many leads.

Conversion Benefits

Content marketing can effectively drive conversions by providing valuable information that guides potential customers towards making a purchase or taking desired actions. This can be achieved through:

• Educating Buyers: Informative content helps customers understand the value and benefits of a product or service, increasing their likelihood of making a purchase.
• Addressing Objections: Content can address common concerns and objections, reducing hesitation and encouraging action.
• Building Trust: Consistent and valuable content builds trust and credibility with potential customers, making them more likely to convert.

Data:

• A study by Kapost found that content marketing increases conversion rates by 60%.
• A report by HubSpot indicates that companies that effectively use content marketing convert 70% of website visitors into leads, compared to 30% for those that don’t use content marketing.

Cost-Effectiveness

Content marketing is a relatively cost-effective marketing strategy, especially compared to traditional advertising methods. The primary costs involve content creation and distribution, which can be managed efficiently with proper planning and execution.

Data:

• A study by Content Marketing Institute found that content marketing costs 62% less per lead than traditional marketing.
• A report by Hubspot indicates that content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing while costing 62% less.

Content marketing adoption statistics across both B2B and B2C companies

B2B Content Marketing Adoption:

• 80% of B2B marketers actively invest in content marketing, demonstrating its widespread adoption. (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)
• 65% of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2023, indicating a continued commitment to this strategy. (Marketo, 2023)
• 79% of B2B companies report that content marketing generates demand/leads, highlighting its effectiveness in lead generation. (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)

B2C Content Marketing Adoption:

• 73% of B2C marketers report that content marketing is successful in generating leads and sales, demonstrating its impact on business outcomes. (HubSpot, 2023)
• 67% of B2C marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2023, emphasizing the growing importance of content in B2C marketing. (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)
• 54% of B2C marketers use influencer marketing as part of their content marketing strategy, reflecting the increasing trend of leveraging influencer partnerships. (Semrush, 2023)

Overall Content Marketing Adoption Trends:

• Content marketing has become a core component of marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes, with 84% of organizations having a content marketing strategy in place. (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)
• Content marketing is viewed as a business asset by 92% of content marketers, emphasizing its strategic importance in achieving business goals. (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)
• The demand for skilled content marketers is high, with 57% of marketers reporting that content marketing is a top hiring priority. (HubSpot, 2023)

These statistics clearly illustrate the growing demand for content marketing across both B2B and B2C companies. Businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of content in attracting, engaging, and converting customers, making content marketing a critical component of their overall marketing strategies. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, content marketing is expected to play an even more prominent role in driving business success.

Content marketing benefits Examples across industries/verticals successfully

Industry: E-commerce

Company: Birchbox

Content Format: Blog posts, social media content, email newsletters

Business Impact: Increased brand awareness, improved customer engagement, higher conversion rates

Strategy Effectiveness:

• Targeted Content: Birchbox creates personalized content based on subscriber preferences and interests, ensuring relevance and engagement.
• Community Building: Birchbox fosters a sense of community through interactive social media content and email newsletters, building loyalty and customer advocacy.
• Influencer Partnerships: Birchbox collaborates with influencers to reach a wider audience and leverage their credibility, driving brand awareness and sales.

Industry: Technology

Company: Shopify

Content Format: Blog posts, podcasts, video tutorials, webinars

Business Impact: Increased brand awareness, established thought leadership, generated leads

Strategy Effectiveness:

• Thought Leadership: Shopify positions itself as an industry expert by producing high-quality content that educates and informs entrepreneurs and business owners.
• Diversity of Content: Shopify offers a variety of content formats, catering to different learning styles and interests, maximizing reach and engagement.
• Actionable Insights: Shopify’s content provides practical tips and strategies that entrepreneurs can implement immediately, demonstrating value and building trust.

Industry: Healthcare

Company: Mayo Clinic

Content Format: Blog posts, videos, social media content, infographics

Business Impact: Improved patient education, increased patient engagement, enhanced brand reputation

Strategy Effectiveness:

• Authoritative Content: Mayo Clinic’s content is created by medical experts, ensuring accuracy and credibility, making it a trusted source of health information.
• Patient-Centric Approach: Mayo Clinic’s content focuses on providing clear, understandable information that empowers patients to make informed decisions about their health.
• Multilingual Content: Mayo Clinic offers content in multiple languages, reaching a wider audience and demonstrating its commitment to global health education.

Industry: Finance

Company: NerdWallet

Content Format: Blog posts, financial guides, interactive tools, infographics

Business Impact: Increased website traffic, generated leads, improved customer engagement

Strategy Effectiveness:

• Practical Advice: NerdWallet’s content provides practical financial advice and tools that help consumers make informed decisions about their finances.
• User-Friendly Format: NerdWallet’s content is presented in a clear, concise, and engaging manner, making it easy for users to understand complex financial concepts.
• Personalized Recommendations: NerdWallet offers personalized financial recommendations based on individual circumstances, enhancing the value of its content.

Industry: Travel

Company: Lonely Planet

Content Format: Blog posts, travel guides, social media content, photo galleries

Business Impact: Increased brand awareness, generated leads, enhanced customer engagement

Strategy Effectiveness:

• Inspirational Content: Lonely Planet’s content inspires wanderlust and encourages exploration, appealing to travelers’ desire to discover new destinations.
• Immersive Experiences: Lonely Planet’s content provides immersive experiences, allowing potential travelers to virtually explore destinations before booking their trips.
• Community Engagement: Lonely Planet fosters a vibrant community of travelers through social media and online forums, building loyalty and brand advocacy.

Content Marketing Benefits FAQ

Q: What are the common factors contributing to successful content marketing strategies across industries?

A: Common factors include targeted content, diversity of content formats, actionable insights, authoritative content, patient-centric approach, multilingual content, practical advice, user-friendly format, personalized recommendations, inspirational content, immersive experiences, and community engagement.

Q: How can businesses measure the effectiveness of their content marketing efforts?

A: Key metrics to track include website traffic, lead generation, conversion rates, customer engagement, brand awareness, and social media engagement.

Q: What are some of the challenges businesses face when implementing content marketing strategies?

A: Common challenges include creating consistently high-quality content, producing content in multiple formats, measuring the ROI of content marketing efforts, and allocating sufficient resources to content marketing initiatives.

Content Marketing Benefits: Summary

Content marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses across industries to achieve various business objectives, including increased brand awareness, improved customer engagement, higher revenue, and reduced churn. By studying successful examples like Birchbox, Shopify, Mayo Clinic, NerdWallet, and Lonely Planet, businesses can identify key strategies and approaches to effectively leverage content marketing and drive business success.

Designing an effective marketing strategy is all about determining what will deliver the best revenue relative to how much you need to invest. No matter what channel your targeting, content marketing is one of the best options around.

With a little bit of knowhow, content marketing actually costs very little. In fact, just about anyone with reasonable digital literacy can pick up the basics of SEO or video editing in order to take advantage of the benefits of content marketing.