The Internet has created new avenues for gaining business exposure and changed customer expectations, and businesses must adjust their approach to advertising in order to be successful today. How, you ask? By embracing content marketing, you can open up countless avenues for increasing your visibility, reputation, and credibility— and, most importantly, your bottom line.

We all know what advertising is, but why is it different from and less effective than “content marketing?”

Traditional advertising is often intrusive in its effort to get your business or product noticed, and that can have a diminishing effect on your returns. Even more, ads are expensive, and they only capture the audience’s attention for a brief period of time, if at all, with a generalized message unlikely to appeal to everyone.

On the other hand, content marketing offers potential customers valuable information that they want in exchange for their attention, drawing them in to give you more exposure at much less cost.

Using content marketing, businesses provide educational and/or entertaining content that is free, engaging, and valuable to customers, such as blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, guides, videos, and more. Not only does content marketing offer value that customers appreciate while subtly promoting your business, product, and brand, but it also serves as a useful PR tool by increasing your reputation as an authority in your field.

Content marketing, in short, gives businesses a way to engage customers who want to hear their message, rather than forcing it on customers through typical, costly advertising. Additionally, content marketing:

• Provides customers with information or guidance that is valuable to them.
• Targets different customer sects directly for more effective marketing.
• Increases website traffic and improves SEO.
• Educates customers to influence their purchasing decisions.
• Furthers your company’s perception as an industry authority.
• Encourages customers to share your information with others, such as through social media.
• and more!

Click here for an in-depth introduction to content marketing, including examples of businesses using content marketing successfully and some tips for best practices, and contact WordWise Creations when you’re ready to begin developing a content marketing strategy sure to fuel the success of your business!