If you have spoken with anyone on our web design team – or any business web design team anywhere, for that matter – in the past few years, then you probably already know about the importance of content marketing. They may not have used those words, but it's almost a certainty that someone has spoken to you about blogs, online videos, article marketing, and other tools designed to draw more customers from around the Internet and into your business site.
Make no mistake: Having the right kinds of articles, video, and images on your company's website is important, but lots of business owners don't quite understand how important it is.
That's because great content – information and resources that people want to bookmark and return to – works the same way the smell from a great restaurant does, drawing people into your business. Here are just a few of the ways that fantastic content marketing can help you grow your business exponentially:
Through search engine optimization. Nearly every video, blog post, or other piece of content that is produced by your company will eventually be indexed by the major search engines. The keywords you use to market them can end up bringing thousands of customers to your business website.
Through referrals that come to you from existing customersWhen you write or post something truly exceptional, it's likely to get spread around. Often, this can happen without any further input or encouragement from you – all you have to do is release something that people want to read or see.
Through viral content. Speaking of content taking on a life of its own, there's always the chance that your article, video, or picture will reach a sort of "critical mass" and take on a life of its own. When that happens, and your content goes viral, you could see an enormous spike in interest in your company and its products.
So, what is the key to making any of these happen? It isn't producing content… it's producing great content. There is no shortage of material on the Internet, so what you put online has to stand out if it's going to catch fire. It might take some work coming up with valuable content every week, but trust us when we tell you it can help your company grow in unforeseen ways.
