May 2020 E-Connect Daily #4
The Crown Jewels
How custom content makes your business shine
Remember the last time that a salesperson called you without warning and yakked about their product? Most likely, they lost the sale and you avoided their products. Everybody would rather read about stuff that they care about than hear a salesperson go on about their products. As prospects move down the funnel, trust is built and interest is piqued. But for the customer to become aware of you and ultimately develop a relationship with your company, it must start at a higher level. It must start with entertainment and thoughtfulness. If you provide content that your customers care about, then they will come to you. Here are four ways that custom content can make your business stand out:
Customer Retention
One of the greatest reasons for content marketing is customer retention. It is always less expensive to keep your current customers than acquire new ones. Be certain that you are constantly nurturing your current relationships by talking with them and creating well-designed, thoughtful, story-based content that inspires and educates. It is very hard to stay top of mind these days. Live events have been cancelled, and creating touch points through content makes people feel connected.
Generates Leads
Generating leads is just as important as customer retention. The only way to generate leads is to prove that you are trustworthy. Remember, your customers are going through the buying process. If at some point they find your content compelling, then they will have an interest in finding out more about you.
Cost-effective
Custom publishing is a very cost-effective method and it is very low risk. You cannot get hurt when you canvass the marketplace. You cannot get damaged if you are asking questions. And putting out content—at a minimum—means that you understand your customers and are invested in doing the right thing. Custom content is not offensive because it is not “pushy.” You are putting out content that is about your prospective market and not about yourself. When you create content, you are already getting a return on it. You are gaining invaluable insights as well as building awareness.
Builds Trust
Content creation builds trust with internal clients as well as external clients. This is important because one of the biggest issues in business is the alignment of sales and marketing. Historically, B2B companies treated marketing as sales support. On the contrary, the relationship with the market should be mutually owned by sales and marketing. Collectively, the company should have a deep understanding of the community that it serves and content affords us that opportunity.
From The Web
How Marketers Steer Their Brands Forward
Where do brands go from here? How do brands stay in lockstep with customers’ shifting behaviors, outlooks and needs?
For a sense of how brands can best move forward, I asked Paul Marobella, chairman and CEO, Havas Creative, North America, to share a few of his perspectives.
5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Prepare for the Post-Coronavirus Business World
.png?width=32&height=32&name=youtube%20(1).png){kind=small}
