5 Ways Content Marketing Can Create Brand Loyalty

This story originally appeared on PR Newswire's Small Business PR Toolkit

Whether you’re a new startup or an established company, you’re looking for ways to increase your sales and customer base. In a technology-driven world, content is everything and every business is a publisher—and customers are the sales force.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a long-term marketing strategy that utilizes valuable and relevant content, adjacent to the business’s mission and brand, to draw in and enhance customer buying behavior and brand loyalty. It’s a technique that goes beyond traditional marketing strategies by offering customers engaging and interesting material rather than being “sales-y” by pitching products or services directly.

A corporate or business blog is definitely a good way to offer relevant, consistent content to your customers, but content marketing goes way beyond blogs. That’s not to say that you should skip having a blog—a blog will keep a steady output of sharable information that can help expand your company’s customer base.

Related: Why Your Content Marketing Strategy Needs Real-Time Data

But not all content marketing types will work for your business. It’s up to you and your team to determine which strategies are cost- and time-effective for your company.

Some Types of Content Marketing:

• Infographics
• Newsletters
• eBooks
• Videos
• Lists
• How-to’s
• Case Studies

A good mix of visual and textual content can expand your outreach and create brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is important, especially today where social media and big data rule. This why content marketing is necessary today.

5 Ways Content Marketing Can Create Brand Loyalty

1. Attracts new customers and engages current customers – More than just inbound marketing, content marketing will engage your customers throughout the entire buying process, which will engage your current customers and attract—and keep—new ones.
2. Positions your company as the expert in your field – By offering relevant content, you position your company as the go-to expert in your target market.
3. Expands your brand’s dimension by giving your company a voice – Beyond the product or service you’re selling, content marketing gives a voice and personality to your company across all utilized platforms.
4. Offers a strong ROI – Content marketing offers a very strong return on investment. It’s a tried and true method of marketing that consistently increases the value of your brand.
5. Increases sales and customer referrals – It’s been proven that customers avoid ads but tend to seek out relevant content. Offering consistent quality content in your target market maintains your brand’s integrity without coming off pushy about your products or services.

Related: Create a Company Blog Series

If you’re looking to build increase your customer base, establish your company as an expert in your target market, and expand your company’s marketing platform, make sure you have a stellar content marketing strategy—it’s the best way to build brand loyalty.

Written by Kemari Howell, the marketing coordinator for Pubsoft.com.