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THE COST-EFFECTIVE BENEFITS OF CONTENT MARKETING

Creating relevant content that assists and entertains your target audience has become increasingly important for marketers, the ‘IMM Journal of Strategic Marketing’ reports in its latest issue (Issue 1 2018).

“Content strategy isn’t Facebook,” writes content marketing expert Pabi Rampa. “Facebook is just one of the many channels of content strategy. The others are blogs, white papers, case studies, PR, social media marketing, inbound marketing, PPC, SEO, websites, content strategically placed on third-party websites, and more.”

According to research company Sirius Decisions, 67% of global customers will go through the following five stages during the decision-making journey: awareness, consideration, intent, purchase and retention.

For each stage, says Rampa, specific content will have to be created. For the potential buyer who starts their journey in the ‘awareness’ phase, ensure your brand is easily discoverable through organic and possibly paid search. Since in the ‘consideration’ phase, customers are trying to figure out if your product is for them and are comparing you to competitors, have reviews on several platforms, as well as blog content which speaks about how your product is the answer to their needs.

As an example of the above, Netflix offers potential customers a free month-long trial to help them decide if they’d like to subscribe. To encourage subscription renewals, the company keeps in touch with customers via e-mail, app and social media.

“A good content strategy can, for instance, help bring out a different side of your brand if it is already being seen as stiff and boring. You can come up with a brand personality that connects with your target market by being seen as more modern and informal,” Rampa notes. “When done correctly, content marketing costs far less than traditional marketing. It is possible to achieve great reach, conversions and leads without breaking the bank.”

The ‘IMM Journal of Strategic Marketing’ is the official publication of the IMM Graduate School.