Content marketing is a marketing process that involves generating and distributing valuable content to a specific audience. The goal is to attract and engage the intended demographic with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
This form of marketing takes into account the long-standing sales approach that customers only buy from companies they trust. That trust is quickly established when a company becomes an expert — a resource for its market — and is able to solve the problems of people seeking solutions.
Thinking like a content marketer
If you shift the focus from: “how can I sell more?” to “how can I be of assistance to people in my target market?” selling products and services becomes a natural, seamless process that involves minimal sales effort.
When your company is an expert in your industry, potential business will naturally come to you. The expertise you demonstrate through content marketing removes or weakens the resistance toward a sales come-on.
It’s important to show them your expertise every time they look for a solution to a problem. That will have them come to you for many things, not just when they need to buy something you provide. A content marketing approach allows you to change your business’ overall brand conversation and establish that you are more than just another corporation selling widgets or services.
You step away from solely being the provider of a product. You become the ultimate resource.
Materials handling and content marketing
A brief explanation of a content marketing approach
Think of it this way, a warehouse manager needs to buy more rack for his warehouse. You could be one of two things for that potential customer:
Option 1: You’re the company he chooses to buy from among a selection of similar racking companies. He comes to you when he needs rack. And only when he needs rack. He chooses to buy rack from your company because his company has purchased from you before.
Option 2: You’re the company he chooses because your brand is cooler than everyone else’s. He visits your web site often because it’s a refreshing experience. When he comes to your site it’s not just all pictures of rack and prices. He sees the faces of sales and service people he actually knows and innately he feels a connection.
He found your site from a Google search when he was looking for racking design support. And he has returned to your site many times because you helped him solve his problems – even if he has never purchased from you before.
When it comes to buying rack, he doesn’t even consider any other providers. Even though your rack is a bit more expensive, he’ll get so much more from you than he will from the competition.
Good news is, you get to choose which kind of company you want to be. And If that’s Option 2 you’ll need to learn how to create your company as an industry expert.
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