Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
With more talk about marketing than ever before, content creation is always top of mind. But are you really content marketing? Of course, you are delivering content — an ebook every now and then, a blog once a week, maybe you have occasionally shared an infographic through social media — but are you seeing results? Unless you are integrating all of your content assets into your broader campaigns and growth-driving initiatives, you are not content marketing, you are simply content creating.
The thing is, the goal for your content creation shouldn't be to impress other people in your industry, nor should it simply be a PR tool. Your content marketing goals are create assets that help to grow your business. So if you are creating great content that works as a marketing tool, ultimately, you will see those tools convert visitors into leads and leads into sales.
Remember, you aren't talking to other content marketers. You are talking to potential customers, and those customers need to know what you are all about and exactly how you will relieve their pain points. Sure, you can go on for days about why you are the best solution for their problem, but without substantive business metrics, you are disconnecting your content from your intention to market.
Last year, 43% of content marketers closed a customer because of the high quality content they created and distributed through their blog. If you are content marketing, instead of just content creating, you will close leads.
It is impossible to expect your sales team to have time to lead your team in your marketing strategy, especially if it is content heavy. It is equally impossible to expect your marketing team to oversee the sales strategy. But is possible to close the gap between the two teams to work together to prove your business value. Creatives tend to shy away from data-centric marketing functions and that just doesn't work. If you aren't proving your value to potential clients, why should they care about what you offer?
Maintain open lines of communication between your marketing and sales teams so that you know exactly what value propositions will impress your audience. Your sales team is talking to customers and potential customers every day. They know their pain points and the solutions that are valuable and deliver that content before they even pick up the phone or submit that form. Make yourself seem like you are reading their minds, providing answers before they ask them. It's all about being that trusted resource people want to do business with.
When it comes to putting the marketing back in your content marketing, you have to accept one thing — it's okay to be a little boring sometimes. Your audience wants to know what kind of results they can expect and how you are going to get them. With that in mind, cheer your results loudly, at least as loudly as you have been cheering creativity. After all, the results — lead generation, sales cycle acceleration and revenue growth — are what matter the most.