12 Benefits of Content Marketing (+ Examples)

As an experienced content marketer, I can assure you that content marketing has huge benefits for every business. It is one of the most effective methods to increase audience engagement, develop brand presence and increase sales.

If you are interested in content marketing and are a little skeptical about its benefits, you have come to the right place.

I’ll explain to you the importance and benefits it can offer your business.

According to our 2024 State of Marketing Report, 50% of marketers plan to increase their content marketing investments this year.

Consistent, high-quality, engaging content influences audience decision-making more than any other technique.

Brand message consistency is one of the many factors that determine the growth and success of your business. Great brands know how to present their brand consistently and at every customer touch point.

The same reasoning applies to content marketing: your content must have a clear and identifiable voice, style and tone across all distribution channels.

Content consistency builds your credibility, builds trust, and strengthens your reputation.

We know that the content you create needs to be consistent. But why is content marketing so beneficial? Here are the top benefits of content marketing.

Why content marketing works

Content marketing works because humans are very visual creatures.

I know you probably didn’t expect to get into science today, but I promise you it has something to do with marketing. More than 50% of the cerebral cortex of the human brain is responsible for visual processing.

Furthermore, research shows that 90% The information that people perceive and send to their brains is visual in nature. Therefore, content marketing such as videos, graphics, visual ads, and blog posts full of graphs and charts are sure to resonate with your target audience.

Additionally, we are firmly rooted in the social media age, where content is king and more and more consumers are discovering new brands and products through social media. Our recent social media study found that 40% of Generation Z, 40% of Generation X and 43% of Millennials discovered new products through social media in the last three months.

You can increase brand and product awareness by creating shareable, engaging content that resonates on social media.

Benefits of Content Marketing

1. Your audience stays with you longer.

Great content is an important asset.

It can create positive experiences for your potential customers and keep them coming back for more. It’s your ticket to capturing your audience’s attention and continually reinforcing a positive brand impression.

For example, one of my favorite social media accounts to follow is Duolingo on TikTok. The language teaching app is known for its unique, fun and entertaining presence on the platform.

Duolingo always offers entertainment value, so I always keep it in mind when I think about learning a new language. Whether I call off my strike because I’m learning a new language hard is another story.

2. You will have better traction on social media.

Since I touched on social media, it’s important to remember that it’s one thing to increase social media followers across all channels, but quite another to create trending content.

If you’re one of those businesses that isn’t getting much traction despite having a large following, it’s time to use content marketing to your advantage. Quality content can help your business gain traction on social media.

Track the performance of your content campaigns with HubSpot’s analytics software.

3. Your audience will trust you.

I’ve found that content creation helps companies build relationships with their audience. Engaging content helps answer customer questions and interact with customers.

When a company creates value without receiving anything in return, its audience is likely to trust its advice and recommendations.

Ultimately, if your content is displayed in the right place and at the right time to the right audience, it will ultimately improve your brand’s reputation.

The more high-quality content customers see, the more likely they are to form a positive association with your company.

For example, I’m obsessed with Fenty Beauty’s social media content marketing strategy and how the brand puts trust and audience interaction at the heart of its content strategy.

Fenty’s Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube channels all focus heavily on providing tutorials and educational content about makeup, skincare, and their products.

The tutorials show viewers how the products work on different skin types and how they can mix and match products to achieve different looks. Additionally, the brand constantly responds to consumer comments on its platform.

These tutorials and real interactions build trust with the audience.

4. You generate more and better leads.

I found this Content marketing can also generate leads. When your audience views your content, they are more likely to purchase from you in the future.

Additionally, calls to action (CTA) placed directly in your content can generate new leads for your sales team.

So how can content generate leads?

Lindsay Kolowich, former team manager of the Acquisition Content team at HubSpot Academy, says: “Content is a great way to drive users to a landing page.

Typically, you create content to provide visitors with useful, free information. You can add CTAs anywhere in your content – ​​inline, at the end of the post, in the hero, or even in the side panel.

The more satisfied visitors are with your content, the more likely they are to click on your call to action and go to your landing page.”

For example, I help a dance studio in my neighborhood by running their TikTok and posting dance content to generate interest in the studio and attract new students.

I post videos of trainers doing gravity-defying stunts and explaining complex moves.

Each video ends with a call to action to sign up for classes through the studio’s web store.

The TikTok account still has a small following since it is new, but I have already seen new students signing up for the courses I promote. Many have told teachers that they found out about the courses through TikTok.

5. Original content can improve conversions.

A few examples I’ll share later will delve a little deeper, but trust me when I say that the content you post influences conversions.

It helps your audience engage with you and provides them with the information they need to make informed purchases.

Additionally, when using blog content to generate traffic, you should consider using original graphics instead of stock photos as marketers report on the former least effective by helping them achieve their goals.

Additionally, your content should always include a CTA and give your readers clues about what they should do next.

6. Your company will become more visible thanks to SEO.

The more consistent and high-quality content you produce, the better it is for your SEO efforts.

For example, I discovered the pole dance studio through a blog post, which was the impetus for my dance journey.

I’ll also go into this example in much more depth later, but to make a long story short: the information I found on this blog helped me trust this studio, see it as an authority on dance and move on from it convince me to sign up for courses.

Your content should help your business gain visibility online and build trust and authority with your audience.

7. Great content can position your business as an authority in your industry.

As I alluded to earlier, creating quality content also helps build your authority on the internet. If your business is established as a credible place to get information, you are more likely to rank higher in search engines.

Additionally, your customers are more likely to trust you if they view you as an industry expert. Your content should demonstrate your expertise in your field and provide valuable answers to your audience’s questions.

8. High-quality content can increase brand awareness.

Sure, anything can increase brand awareness, but I’ve found that content marketing does this in a unique way.

Our HubSpot marketing experts have written about what we call the surround sound strategy.

In short: With this content strategy you can place your blog article on more than just page one. This means your content (and therefore your brand) appears wherever your potential customers search for your product.

To implement this strategy, write about topics your customers are interested in so they start associating your great content with your brand.

9. You gain loyal brand fans.

To take brand awareness a step further, anyone who raves about your content and associates all those great feelings with your brand is likely to become a brand advocate before purchasing your product.

Wait, what?

I promise it’s true; Brand fans can be the same way loyal and influence the purchasing decisions of their friends and family as potential consumers recognize that a company offers value to its current audience. One of the more successful ways for businesses to do this is through content marketing.

For example, while I may not be looking for meal plans for kids because I don’t have kids yet, I am obsessed with them Children eat in color Blog and Instagram content. I recommend it to my friends and family who have children with picky eating habits. Do you see how well this can work?

10. You save money on your marketing strategy.

Since HubSpot first assessed the cost of content marketing ten years ago, this practice has remained unchanged most cost-effective marketing strategy available.

The upfront cost of content seems high, and that’s a valid point.

Blog content estimates range from $150 per post to $3,000 for a freelance writer. However, you can also hire a full-time writer to create content for you on a regular basis.

In the long term, when compared to paid advertising, video marketing, and traditional marketing, content wins the battle with Finance every time.

11. You meet your audience at different stages of the buyer’s journey.

What I value most about content marketing is its ability to connect with consumers at every stage of their buyer journey. Remember that there are three phases:

• consciousness
• thoughtfulness
• Decision

As an example, I’ll tell my own consumer story.

Years ago, I wanted to start a fitness journey but was struggling to maintain a consistent workout routine. So I turned to Google to find out why I couldn’t consistently work out at the gym. At this point, I was aware of my buyer’s journey.

I know there is a problem (I can’t keep up with my exercise routine) and I want a solution. During this phase, I came across a blog from a local pole and aerial gymnastics studio that had a post titled “5 Reasons You’re Not Sticking to Your Fitness Routine.”

I read the studio’s post and discovered that I probably didn’t stick to my routine because I found it boring and didn’t enjoy engaging. Therefore, I should look for alternative, more interesting exercises.

Now I’m in the consideration phase. I know why I can’t stay in the gym. It’s boring and I have to think about alternative exercises. So I started researching alternative forms of fitness and finding out what these types of exercises entail.

At some point I happened to stumble upon the studio’s Instagram and found videos describing the various alternative exercise classes, from pole dancing to aerial silks.

Even better, there were videos tailored to beginners, like “What to Wear to Your First Pole Dancing Class” and “Debunking Myths About Aerial Hoops.”

Finally, I decided that pole dancing would be my best choice, which led to the decision phase. I’m compiling a list of pole dance studios near me to consider.

The first studio I came across accompanied me throughout the entire journey and so of course I decided to sign up for their courses.

By using content marketing, your business can be like my favorite pole studio, meeting potential consumers at every stage of their journey.

12. Educate your audience and empower them to make better purchasing decisions.

I’ll be honest: the customer isn’t always right.

Sometimes potential customers make the wrong decision regarding a requested service or product or do not understand a company’s methodology or protocol.

These misunderstandings can often cause tension between a company and its customers. Luckily, content marketing helps level the playing field.

For example, one of my favorite creators on TikTok is Theresa Va Dam.

She is a hairdresser and salon owner who makes videos educating potential clients about hair health, salon etiquette, and common problems that can arise when styling hair.

The goal of the videos is to promote their business, educate and empower potential clients to make the right decisions when booking hair appointments, trust their process and ask the right questions about their service.

All of this ensures a smoother interaction and a higher chance of the customer coming back.

Content creation is crucial in today’s marketing landscape. I simply don’t believe a marketing strategy is complete or effective without incorporating engaging, shareable, and unique content.

Creating a content marketing strategy is one of the most important steps for your marketing team. So review your current content (or start creating it if you haven’t already) and determine what works for your business. And don’t be afraid to try something new.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated for completeness.