Content is an asset for your business, and it is what will allow your customers, prospects, readers, and users to achieve their tasks and find the information seek. Here are some reasons why content is important:
Provide value to audiences
If you are creating content such as educational resources, guides, and articles, this provides value to the audience and can help them level up. Value is also offered through content that helps people achieve specific tasks.
Build your brand (and trust)
What people think about your brand (and its content) is so important they will recommend you, or not, based on their opinion. Creating consistently high quality and useful content will also build trust with your audience.
Attract and engage prospects
This is where creating content as a business asset comes into play. You can start to establish your reputation with potential customers and users through your content. Educate them, rather than sell to them, through helpful content.
Delight existing customers
A lot of focus is put on creating content to get new customers. But you should still serve your existing customers and audience through content too. Identify opportunities to add greater value as part of retention and growth strategies.
Position yourself as thought leaders
It can be difficult for people to find what they need amongst all that noise. Position yourself as a thought leader through your content and they'll know exactly where to find the information they want and trust.
Grow your business
Growing your business through content is a long game, but creating content that is true to your brand, helpful to your audience, and has a measurable business goal behind it can improve your ROI you get from the content.
Meet (and exceed) audience expectations
It always comes back to the audience. You should meet their expectations through the content you create (and surpass them if possible).
Developing a content creation strategy
Good content is:
- Useful
- User-centered
- Clear
- Consistent
- Concise
- Supported
Don't forget the SEO
Don't forget to include the information needed to help it get noticed by search engines and make it more findable for your audience. For example, include meta title and meta description, and alt text to images. (More on this later!)
Just do it!
A lot of clients I speak with want to push their "blog" off to "Phase 2" but my advise is get writing now. I find my best inspiration comes from talking with clients and prospects helping them solve problems that they struggle with. For instance this post inspiration came from a new business discussion I had yesterday. On the call they also told me they read an article on our website about how to plan for a new website and appreciated the tips. Believe me, you will get that nugget of connection when someone decides to reach out to based on your thought leadership and their trust. Maybe that's why the prospect make the connection? They also said they liked our work 😉.
