The power of content marketing: Scientific proof that it works
Doubting the power of content marketing? Not for long: A new study shows that content marketing makes consumers 131% more likely to purchase.
In the digital economy, trust is the currency of favor among thought leaders, and with good reason. The days of SEO-optimized blog posts – heavy on tags and low on high-quality content – are entering their twilight, as purposeful content marketing has only begun to demonstrate the power that it wields.
Thought leadership has become the foundation upon which brands are built. Like anything that requires building, this isn’t accomplished overnight. Thought leadership needs to be incorporated into strategic content marketing plans, and it needs to be shared consistently.
As you begin to provide high-level insights on a regular basis, over time, you’ll gain the trust of your readers, who have the potential to become your consumers. When done right, thought leadership places your brand top of mind; a trusted advisor to lead the way, which means that when it comes time to purchase, your brand will come to mind first.
Leading the way: Thought leadership yields results
Recently, this website was listed by NewsCred as one of the Top 50 Best Content Marketing Brands of 2017. NewsCred stated, “These brands represent the best of content marketing today. We applaud these brands for their courage to see possibilities and drive innovation that, in turn, evolves the entire content marketing field.”
It was almost like a dream: Creating content to inspire + transform
When it matters most, people will either turn to you or from you; no amount of money can overpower the human instinct, and it's humans who run businesses. The content you create must resonate with them, full stop.
By faithfully seeking out and creating helpful relevant content for busy professionals, a loyal following was quickly formed. “As marketers, it’s our job to help our customers and prospects make sense of the world around them. Creating content that helps people do their jobs every day can only build trust and lead to lifelong relationships. There’s no risk and only reward,” explained Amy Hatch, founder of this site.
The most important part to understand when it comes to successful content marketing is that it isn’t an overnight success.
This site a long time to build, and over that time, we earned the trust and respect of our readers.
Anyone looking for a quick win: You’re looking in the wrong place. Content marketing is a long-term commitment. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, but it does take a lot of intellectual capital, and you have to be willing to invest in that.
The goal of thought leadership in content marketing is to build relationships, thereby earning trust and reliability. “It’s crucial to influence customers before they buy,” said Alex Rogers, Principle Account Manager at Google.
FCEC is in the company of incredible brands, like Dell Technologies, First Round, Fujitsu, GE, Intercom, Sage, Slack, and Twitter, and we’d like to tip our caps to our fellow technology category winners.
