Over the last decade, the world of (online) marketing has changed. There used to be a time when you could just advertise at random places, and you could expect a steady stream of click through to your website.
The very first banner ever even had a Click Through Rate (CTR) of 44%, nowadays companies are jumping through the roof when they 0.44%, with an average CTR at the moment of 0.17%Â according to benchmarks by DoubleClick.
Today’s consumers have changed. They are either “banner blind” and blocking out the advertisements on the website mentally or have ad-blockers installed. They look beyond logos, overlook your promotions and won’t sign up for your newsletter. Today’s consumers only need the information when they want it, delivered to them in a format they want it.
And with as many as 81% of consumers conducting research before making a purchase, it’s fair to say that people today have a lot more to say about who they buy from than ever before.
If you’re broadcasting your products or services to your target audience, good luck trying to sell to them. Consumers want to start a dialogue with you, and they don’t like being told what to choose and what to buy. So how do you make your potential customers notice you?
You do this by being helpful, hence the birth of Content Marketing.
But with everybody diving into Content marketing nowadays, it becomes more and more difficult to cut through the noise and get your content delivered to your potential customers.
You need to deliver content that’s relevant to them, based on the behaviour they have at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
And what happens next?
While different Content Marketing Strategies might have a different purpose (lead generation, brand awareness, website traffic, etc.) the end goal should always be the same – to increase revenue and drive more business.
In the old days, it was the sales team that used to shoulder the sales funnel or buyer’s journey, but nowadays the buyer’s journey has transformed into more touchpoints across different channels. Quality content provides more than just a great way for marketers to connect with new audiences; it also helps your sales department better. With the right content, your sales staff can:
- Be better prepared for their sales conversations;
- Get better-qualified leads
- Gain access to selling tools to engage more effectively
- Learn more about their audience through analytics
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