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You know your business needs a website, but why in the world does your business need a blog? A blog plays an essential role in your content marketing strategy — a strategy that’s been proven to show a tremendous return on investment (ROI) than traditional outbound marketing and paid ads.

The following six facts offer undeniable proof that if your business isn’t utilizing content marketing already, it should in 2019.

6 Undeniable Reasons Content Marketing Boosts Your Online Leads

1. Content Marketing Attracts 3 Times More Leads Per Dollar Spent than Paid Search

Paid Search is often touted as the premium online marketing solution. And, paid search can often be incredibly effective. This is especially true if your business wants to see an immediate influx in website traffic.

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In comparison to traditional marketing (aka ads) content marketing is certainly a long-term investment. However, it’s been shown that content marketing delivers a higher ROI, ultimately increasing leads and boosting sales at a higher rate.

But a recent study by Kapost and Eloqua shows that could Content Marketing actually offer a better ROI — delivering three times more leads than Paid Search.

2. Content Marketing Attracts Leads Months (and Even Years!) After It’s Published

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Not every blog post or piece of content marketing will become evergreen content. But over time, if you’ve done the research and followed best practice, your digital content can become a powerhouse for attracting new leads.

A paid ad is only active while you’re paying for it to be shown. Content marketing lives on, with the potential to attract leads months and even years after it’s published. This type of long-term organic presence is known as Evergreen Content. In his case study, 'The True Power of Evergreen Content - A Case Study,' Nicholas Eubanks shows how traffic to an evergreen post can continue to attract inbound links and organic referrals. This can often result in:

  • The biggest traffic surges coming months or years after the post was first published

  • Rank improvements to the site overall, helping to boost the organic reach of future content

How Big of a Return Does Content Marketing Offer?

Tru Health saw a 333% increase in leads as a direct result of the content marketing campaign RWL developed and managed. Learn More...

3. Content Marketing Generates more than 3 Times to Leads as Outbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is traditional marketing — any interaction initiated by the company. Think cold calling, trade show booths, and seminar series.

Content marketing acts as a form of inbound marketing. It attracts customers to interact with your business. According to the 2016 study released by Demand Metric, content marketing generates more than three times the leads as outbound marketing.

4. Content Marketing Costs 62% Less than Outbound Marketing

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Content marketing isn’t free. It’s success is rooted in research and development — both of which take time and resources. But, it’s long lifespan and minimal ad spend requirement mean it typically costs less than outbound marketing.

Demand Metric also showed that content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing. Why? Most likely because banner blindness has caused audiences to shy away from promotional messages.

Nearly 70% of consumers simply don’t trust advertising. They try and avoid commercials. Their eyes glaze over at the sight of a pay-per-click ad. They simply turn the page to any magazine ads. And, the cold call results in so many hang-ups it’s become a national joke. On the other hand, content marketing allows businesses to deliver valuable, trustworthy information through multiple platforms. These could include:

  • Blog Posts

  • Social Media Posts

  • White Papers

  • E-Books

  • Infographics

  • Videos

5. Blogging Gains Businesses 126% Higher Lead Growth Than Businesses without Blogs

While the realm of blogging has certainly become more competitive, it’s far from dead. A 2018 HubSpot study revealed that business with blogs benefit from 126% higher lead growth than businesses without blogs.

It’s important to keep in mind that this kind of success requires a strategic blog and content marketing strategy. Your website needs to be optimized. Your content needs to be well-researched. And, your blog post’ structure needs to be both reader-friendly and SEO friendly.

Why an Optimized Website & Strategic Content Marketing Plan Provide Big ROI

In less than six months, Eren Design attracted 14 new remodeling contracts, resulting in a 3,333% return on their investment. Learn More...

6. 82% of People Have Purchased as a Result of Content Marketing

The 2018 study, ‘How Content Marketing Benefits Businesses,’ published by Clutch showed that 82% of users “have purchased a company’s products or services as a result of consuming content marketing.”

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In order for content marketing to be successful, you need to answer your customers’ questions. This means thinking about what questions you have. It also means inviting the entire team to consider what questions they may have. And better yet, it means asking your customers directly. The bigger the sample set, the more likely you’ll address everyone’s concern.

Today’s consumers are substantially more educated than in years past. They don’t simply buy a product because you tell them it’s the best. They want to know it’s the best based on fact. Furthermore, they want to be able to understand how and why the product will meet their need. That’s what effective content marketing does. It answers the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ questions a user has, so they can feel confident in their purchasing decision.

Get Professional Help with Your Content Marketing Strategy

A content marketing strategy requires planning, research, drafting, and optimizing. In short, a content marketing strategy requires expertise and time. Let's talk about how our skilled creative team can help you achieve your sales goals.

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