Content marketing has been on the rise as a way for brands to connect with their target market in a meaningful way that offers educational information, rather than just selling a product or service. While it may be tempting to jump on the bandwagon and start creating content, your efforts are likely to be futile without a cohesive strategy in place.
In addition to positioning brand as a leader in your space, having an actionable and measurable strategy will ensure your voice remains consistent across all channels, is cross-promoting your SEO strategy, and is resonating with your audience regardless of where they are in your sales funnel.
Below, seven agency executives from Forbes Agency Council share the top reasons why having a content marketing strategy is critical to seeing ROI on your initiatives.
Clockwise from left: Sean Allen, Kristopher Jones, Solomon Thimothy, Jenna Gross, Lindsay Mullen, Bernadette Coleman, Andrew Howlett. All photos courtesy of individual members.
1. You're Building Brand Equity and Authority
Everything you publish should have a specific strategy associated with it. Whether it's growing your email list, selling a product or creating awareness, each piece of content you publish associates your brand with what you are sharing/asking for. Focus on your brand and company goals, and craft your strategy around how to achieve them. – Sean Allen, Blue Onion
2. You're Optimizing for Search Engine Rankings
Content marketing is your gateway to top search engine rankings on
3. You're Setting Yourself Up for Success
Without a strategy, content marketing can quickly run amok. A strategy keeps you on track and helps you connect with your audience. Building trust and brand awareness, and providing value to your audience should be your overall goal when writing content. If you're not planning for success, you can't expect your content marketing to succeed. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
4. You're Solving Problems
Content marketing is about helping your current and future customers solve an issue that’s important to them. Your content needs to facilitate conversations amongst influencers and decision makers, giving them confidence to take the next step. Develop a foundation of content that attracts prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey, spreading seeds of awareness and nurturing ongoing interest. – Jenna Gross, Moving Targets
5. You're Creating a Consistent Voice and Personality
Consistency in content marketing is very much about creating a "personality" or "voice" for your brand. Consumers want to connect with something that feels more real, and not just company speak. By first understanding who it is you're engaging with (or wanting to engage) and then crafting a content strategy with a voice and personality, you can connect in a better and more authentic way with consumers. – Andrew Howlett, Rain
6. You’re Building Something Great
Strategy serves as the foundation and framework for continued success. Search engines and consumer interest guide traffic to your site. But to consistently convert, engage and create brand ambassadors you need to give good content to your target audiences. We’re all vying for consumer attention; strategy directs us how to best deliver our content" social media, videos, contests, emails, etc. – Bernadette Coleman, Advice Local
7. You're Reaching Your Audience Regardless of Where They Are in the Buyer's Journey
Most people don’t visit your website for the first time ready to buy, so your content needs to be strategically created to appeal to them depending on their familiarity with your company. This includes content for people just learning about your brand, for those who are comparing your company to competitors, and for those who are close to making a decision and just need that final push. – Lindsay Mullen, Prosper Strategies
