Content Marketing 101: The Benefits of Sharing Value

Connecting with customers can be hard. People don’t just want to receive flyers, watch ads, or endure another radio commercial (seriously). This is the old way of doing things, and it’s stale. With all the marketing noise in the world today we easily drown out most of it.

You know what’s crazy, though? People still seek out advertisements every day, and enjoy them. You’re guilty of this, too! You’ve probably even shared some with your friends.

But these aren’t flyers or magazine clippings of people with six-pack abs.

It’s content.

The Main Difference Between Traditional Marketing and Content Marketing

Okay, okay… I suppose flyers and magazine clippings are technically “content”. You got me. But the stuff we’re going to be making is different!

Let’s say you’re the owner of a local gym and you want to add content marketing to your business. There are plenty of ways to do this, but starting with a blog is a great first step. Some blog post examples could include:

How to Use Kettlebells
How Jackson Tucker Lost 70 Pounds with Zumba
10 Things Only People Who Hate Cardio Will Understand

Do these look familiar? Of course! You’ve seen posts like this on all sorts of sites, and this is exactly what content marketing is. The goal isn’t to sell anything.

It’s to create value

All the examples above are either informative, engaging, or entertaining. Maybe all three! This is exactly what people want. It’s worth their time, and they’re interested.

By now you’re probably beginning to see the magic of content marketing. You’re connecting with your audience in a genuine way, and they’re taking notice.

Here are 5 more benefits and distinctions that content marketing has over traditional marketing:

1. Communication

From questions, feedback, or just a friendly hello, social media platforms offer a great connection to your audience. You can find out what problems they’re having and what it is they want. Market research in the bag!

2. Increases Traffic

The greater the content, the more it gets shared. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest allow your best content to be seen by people that would normally be hard to reach. Get people talking!

3. You Own It

What’s created is yours and helps promote your brand. It also has the added benefit of a longer shelf life, unlike traditional advertisements.

4. Establishes You As The Expert

This one goes without saying. Demonstrating your expertise by helping others (without asking for anything in return) is a big deal, and ties in with the last point…

5. Builds Trust

This is huge. When newcomers are immediately greeted with a wealth of engaging content for free, a relationship begins to form. They start identifying with you, talking about you, and seeking out what else you have to offer. Awesome!

A Harmonious Relationship

Content marketing is the exact opposite of advertising. No longer do we have to shove our products or logos in front of people. Instead, we can simply provide what people wanted all along, and let them make their decisions from there. People, helping people, helping people!

That’s the essence of content marketing 

“You can never go wrong by investing in communities and the human beings within them.”
Pam Moore

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