Content & Digital Marketing - A Match Made in Digital Heaven

Ever imagined what our digital lives would be like if there were no content?

How would Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. look without any content?

They will be empty and blank spaces which are rudderless and pointless.

A powerful and successful digital marketing strategy is dependent on many factors. While every aspect of the plan is essential, some factors play a more significant role than others in success.

Content is one such driving force in digital marketing. It educates and builds trust with the target audience. Moreover, a company’s content strategy also powers the other factors of digital marketing and promotes the brand’s business online.

In layman’s term, online content is textual, video, graphics or audio which showcases a brand 360 degrees.

In today’s digital-centric world, people are spending around 7.5 hours on an average each day in some or the other form on the internet – reading, listening, streaming or posting on various digital platforms.

According to HubSpot, 47% of the customers consume 3-5 pieces of content before directly engaging with the brand.

These numbers establish the power of content. More than 90% of the businesses have it as an integral part of their digital marketing strategy.

From driving traffic, building a brand image to fuelling SEO and influencing conversions, content does it all, and much more to augment the digital presence of a brand.

However, for a digital marketing strategy to be truly successful, the content has to be top-class – informative, entertaining, relevant and engaging.

Here are a few pointers to help understand further why content is inseparable from digital marketing, and they make a great team in driving a brand’s success online.

Content educates the target audience

Content and a great one at that seamlessly connects with the target audience. It further helps in educating and informing them about the brand more authentically.

It helps the brand in building trust and long term relationships with its audience. Additionally, it also giving all relevant information to the consumer to make a balanced and informed decision.

Content builds a brand’s image

Building a brand’s image is integral to a digital marketing strategy and content plays a critical role in ensuring that.

Brands have to focus on building a strong relationship with the target audience. The most effective way is to give them high-quality content across social media platforms. Further, keep updating the content so that it is relevant to the audience and adds value consistently.

The more value the brand’s content creates, the more is the ability to build long term trust with the target audience.

Content builds trust in a brand

In the fast-paced digital world, where news is short-lived, and trends rule the roost, brands have to work hard to gain and hold the trust of their target audience.

Gaining confidence can help a company build a positive image and reputation with the consumer and establish themselves in the said industry.

A digital marketing strategy which delivers custom, informative, educational and engaging content goes a long way in building goodwill for the brand.

Content helps in generating new leads

Great content alone is by far the most powerful way of creating new leads for the brand.

Exciting and relevant content also helps in mobilising new leads. It interests and engages the consumer to start considering using a particular product or service.

It is especially beneficial for small businesses that rely on steady traffic to their website to grow their brand and boost sales.

Content helps in powering the SEO

The role of great content becomes even more palpable when one understands its importance in helping a brand build and improve its search engine optimisation (SEO).

Without content, there are no keywords to align to; no page for the brand’s visitor to read and get information about the brand, no backlinks to integrate.

In short, zilch!

On the other hand, a digital marketing strategy which keeps a sharp focus on creating relevant content that engages effectively with the target audience drives the company’s ranking on the search engine result page (SERP).

Content influences conversions

Conversions are crucial for an effective digital marketing strategy. After all, that is what the brand hopes to achieve through all its activities online.

Studies show that focussed, informative and engaging content gives as much as six times more conversions than any other digital marketing tools.

Online recommendations sway over 61% of online consumers in making a purchase. (Content Marketing Institute)

Content is cost-effective

Creating content is pretty affordable and is a highly useful digital marketing tool.

It has shown to provide three times the lead of paid search ads.

According to DemandMetric, creating content costs about 62% less than conventional marketing tools, but generates about three times as many leads.

Such numbers reinforce that content is an essential and powerful tactic for a brand to maximise its budget and move towards profitability.

Content drives ROI

The importance of content as a digital marketing tactic, when analysing return on investment is pretty simple to comprehend.

Not only is creating content relatively affordable, but it also provides ROI that small businesses especially cannot overlook.

According to CrazyEgg, video content can provide a substantial ROI and increase conversions significantly, according to 72% of the businesses surveyed. 

Content drives the success of social media strategies

Social media marketing platforms are the most powerful and authentic medium to connect with the target audience.

Great content is a highly interactive way to reach the potential consumer. It engages them to give feedback, ask questions and directs them to the brand’s website and related postings.

All the energy of the social media platform is fuelled by qualitative and engaging content.

"Quality content should be at the heart of any digital marketing strategy. Therefore, while devising the game plan, it is essential that all aspects of the target audience - who they are, what do they care about, which social media channels are they more inclined towards etc., are considered carefully before deciding on the kind of content to produce.”

Bottom line: Synergy between content and digital marketing reflects in every successful brand’s digital story.

What is your take on how great content can leverage a brand’s digital marketing success? We would love to hear from you. Do share your views in the comment section.