Why Content Marketing Is a Core Skill in Digital Marketing

The Importance of Content Marketing in Digital Marketing

Modern-day consumers of marketing are different from those in the past - not only do consumers have more access to information about products and services, they also have many more choices available to them. As a result, it is essential to provide value before attempting to sell anything. This has made content marketing one of the most important skills that digital marketers need to have in order to compete with brands looking to gain attention, trust and loyalty.

Content marketing is not simply another tactic, but rather forms the basis for almost all digital channels from search engine optimization (SEO) to Social Media to Email and Paid Ads. Knowing how to create, share and optimize good content is now viewed as a core competency for the digital marketer wanting to be successful.

Definition of Content Marketing

Content Marketing is a strategic approach to creating and sharing valuable (and most importantly), relevant and consistently developed content that attracts and keeps a specific audience's attention. Instead of selling a product or service directly, Content Marketing creates value by helping, educating, entertaining or solving problems for consumers.

There are many different types of content that can be created using the content marketing approach, such as Blogs, Videos, Podcasts, Social Media Posts, Infographics, E-Books, Webinars, Case Studies, etc. The goal is to develop brand trust and authority so when the consumer is ready to buy something, they will choose your brand.

This is why Content Marketing builds trust and establishes credibility.

Consumers today rarely trust a brand without performing due diligence to find examples and/or references of the brand they intend on purchasing from by searching for 3rd party reviews, comparing alternatives, and evaluating experience.

The quality of the Content created by the brand will contribute greatly to establishing the level of trust between that brand and its consumers.

When a brand produces new, relevant, informative, and quality content, it positions itself as an authority within that industry. Articles in Blog Format, How-To Guides, Case Studies, etc. all provide consumers with an indication of how well a brand understands their Pain Points and delivers solutions to help consumers.

As a result of the above, the credibility that is attained will foster stronger relationships with consumers. They will feel more inclined to purchase from, recommend to and continue to be loyal to brands that deliver value through content marketing instead of solely relying on aggressive selling techniques.

Long-Term Results of Content Marketing.

One of the primary benefits of Content Marketing is the longevity of its benefits over time. Paid Advertising will generate results ONLY while your Budget is available, however, Quality Content can produce regular traffic, leads and sales long after original publication; in some cases months or even years later.

Blog Posts that are written well and generate rankings within Search Engine Results Pages create the opportunity for a consistent stream of ongoing Organic Search Traffic, while Videos that provide information can attract New Viewers and Subscribers for many months or years.

The exponential Return on Investment of Quality Content Marketing will provide Brands with an opportunity to invest in an effective method of marketing with the potential to create long-term growth and sustainability, to grow with their consumers needs and experiences.

The Close Link Between SEO and Content Marketing

SEO and content marketing go hand in hand. Just like search engines provide their users with the most valuable and relevant content, search engines also determine how relevant and valuable a piece of content is based on its quality. Therefore, the means of search engine optimization are directly related to the quality of the content being created. SEO-related activities such as conducting keyword research and determining search intent; writing optimized headlines and meta descriptions; laying out content for easy reading; creating internal and external link profiles in a natural way; and refreshing and repurposing content to keep it fresh in the search engine results. When quality content is produced, SEO is much more than just a technical process; it becomes part of an overall digital marketing strategy, where SEO efforts become a reflection of what people actually want to see.

Creating Content that Drives Engagement and Conversions

Engagement is an important performance indicator of a company's digital marketing. All of the metrics associated with digital engagement, including the number of "likes," comments, shares, time spent on the page, and click-through rates, demonstrate how effectively a company's digital marketing engages its audience. All of these activities rely on good content to drive interaction.

Good content attracts and keeps the attention of potential customers and facilitates conversations between potential customers and marketing teams. For example:

• Blog posts raise the awareness of potential customers and answer some initial questions.

• Videos show how to solve problems and inspire an emotional connection with potential customers.

• Testimonials from satisfied customers help potential customers make decisions about purchasing a product.

• Email programs keep in touch with leads by encouraging them to take action. Consistent, effective content marketing turns visitors into customers.

The personalized nature of today's customer experiences comes from content marketing.

Due to the expectations of today's customers, who demand superior service, companies are looking for ways to create personalized customer experiences through the use of content marketing methods like segmentation and audience profiling.

The ability to develop personalized blog recommendations, custom landing pages, and targeted email campaigns comes from an understanding of customer journeys and buyer personas, so that when marketers create content, it is relevant to each specific group, day by day, at various points in the purchasing funnel.

The more that marketers are knowledgeable about content as a business driver, the better they can leverage analytics and data to create more relevant and meaningful customer experiences, which then drive greater engagement and customer satisfaction.

Content Quality Drives Social Media Success

Today's social media channels are all driven by their own algorithms. Thus, without generating engagement through the creation of high-value, quality, and engaging content on a regular basis, brands will not be visible in the social media world.

Digital marketers with sound content marketing strategies can create:

• Adaptable messages for different social media channels

• Visually appealing and shareable content;

  
  

• Captions that encourage customers to engage with their content;

  
  

• Use of storytelling techniques to make their brand relatable and emotional to customers; and

• Consistency of voice in all content posted on social media.

To make social media useful for the business, it's important that every social media post has a real value proposition and contributes to overall marketing objectives.

Marketing Content Builds Brand Authority

Your brand represents more than just your logo or advertising phrase. Your brand is made up of the way customers perceive your message and how you present yourself in the marketplace through your values, voice, and personality. Content marketing is an essential part of developing brand identity and positioning in the marketplace.

By consistently using the same tone, message, and story, you will stand out from your competition in an ever-growing digital environment and be able to communicate with various target audiences through informative, inspirational, and/or entertaining content.

Digital marketers with a solid understanding of content strategy can align communications across channels to create a consistent and instantly recognizable brand.

As Digital Marketing continues to advance and more and more automation and efficient tools become available for performing technical aspects of digital marketing, the need for creativity, storytelling, and forming genuine human connections will continue to be of the utmost importance. Content marketing is at the intersection of providing strategic goals for your business through creative channels, and data analysis. It is one of the most important future-proof skill sets within the Digital Marketing arena.

Employers are looking increasingly for digital marketers with skills in:

•  Establishing high-quality content,

•  Understanding their audience's psychology,

•  Using their content to achieve business goals,

•  Measuring/optimizing content's performance,

•  Adapting their content for use on multiple platforms.

  
  

  Companies that develop marketers skilled at content marketing will gain an edge in the marketplace and increase the options for their future career paths.

Conclusion

 Content marketing is at the core of digital marketing and will likely become increasingly important as customers look for businesses with strong reputations and present-day relevance.

Everyone looking for a successful  career in Digital Marketing must obtain a good understanding of how to write compelling content that engages their target audience and builds trust through creating an authentic relationship.

In addition, due to the massive amount of information available on the internet, it is essential that brands provide valuable information that helps people make informed purchasing decisions. Brands that successfully achieve this will rise to the top of the digital marketing landscape.