They say that content marketing is all about relationships. Whereas traditional marketing is all about a brand talking at customers, content marketing is about enjoying a dialogue with them. This is all very true, and comes with some heavy implications. Among them: If you want to do content marketing well, you’ve got to provide something worthwhile to your customers.
Marketing as Customer Experience
That’s the unique challenge that content marketers face. You’re not just advertising to people, but actually trying to give them content that’s meaningful to them—content they will choose to read on Facebook or on a blog, on Pinterest or on LinkedIn Pulse.
Thus, you can’t just settle for the same old self-promotion or the same tired talking points. You’ve got to approach content development with customer experience in mind. This begs the question: What are customers actually looking for in online content?
Supporting Your Customers
One thing that customers want from you is to feel supported—to feel like you’ve got their back and are willing and able to assist them even after their initial transaction. Content marketing can help with this. Do you sell products that have numerous or complex applications? Then provide how-tos, tutorials, or FAQ pages. Do you provide a consulting service? Show thought leadership by tackling common problems or reoccurring questions in your blog posts
The benefit to customers is obvious. There are also, however, benefits for the brand—namely, it shows an investment in customer service and a real willingness to help. In short, it builds confidence and trust when consumers see that you’ll support them even after they buy your product.
Blogging for Prospects
But content marketing, as a tool for building customer experience, has applications even for those who are not yet your customers. In fact, it can also be a significant tool for lead generation and outreach.
When you provide rich and authoritative content, it can answer customer questions and address pain points even before they choose to do business with you. For example, a plumber might blog about some easy home plumbing fixes, which will help customers to feel more trusting and confident to call that plumber when a major plumbing problem emerges. Plus, when you give away something valuable—even if it’s just knowledge—you prove to potential clients that you’re both able and willing to help them.
Content marketing is obviously meant to help your brand—but the funny thing is, that will only happen if you first help your customers.