Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing strategies and it pulls in three times as many leads. It’s also expected to become a $54 billion+ industry by 2019. Full steam ahead, right?
Not so fast…
If you are expecting to start a content marketing campaign and get results right away or even in a matter of days, don’t waste your marketing dollars.
It’s not uncommon for businesses to jump into content marketing after seeing glamorous stats and reading mind-blowing success stories, only to find themselves bored and confused after 30-60 days.
Why Content Marketing Isn’t A Quick Fix
It can take months to gain traction and a positive ROI from a content marketing program. I know this sounds like a long time, but when you are building a business, focusing on the long-term will set you up for a nice future, void of quick fixes that stunt profitability.
Content marketing takes some time to build because it is primarily focused on giving. Just like the old Bible verse states, “You sow what you reap,” this rings true in content marketing as well.
To get a return on investment with your content, you must invest in a season of giving, and churn out content without much immediate return. Over time, the results of your labor will start to kick in.
It’s similar to starting and maintaining a healthy diet. Your doctor may put you on a low trans fat, low sugar diet to get your cholesterol to healthy levels. But, staying away from McDonalds and Oreos for one night or even one month will not produce the results you need to move the needle. It’s the ongoing, cumulative results that occur over time that make the difference.
Since content marketing is about building your brand over time and connecting with potential customers, it takes time to build this relationship and watch your community grow. But, eventually, the results kick in and they outweigh the time and effort you invested.
GIVE away something for free to get a return on your content marketing
Once you hit that tipping point (returns exceed time), you will notice your content marketing efforts will pay off with more awareness, leads, and sales.
When does that tipping point occur? There is no set time as it depends on how much content you post, how valuable it is, how well your audience receives it, and how you promote it. But, here are some tips that will help you get results faster:
- Know your audience. What are their pain points? What are their deep needs? Speak to these needs and solve their problems with your content. Most brands do not know how to do this effectively which prolongs their results.
- Give away for free what others would charge for – Give away your best stuff. If your audience thinks your free stuff is good, they will place a high premium on your paid content.
- Be transparent – Your audience wants to connect with you, even if they don’t know it. Be transparent and honest and don’t be afraid to reveal what’s behind the “professional curtain” of your brand. Have you had any successes? Failures? Aha moments? Share them and let your customers in. This allows people to feel connected to your brand, which leads to future sales.
- Get actionable – This tips list you are reading right now is an example of actionable advice. I could have just told you to go out there and hope for the best with your content marketing, but instead I listed some tips you can put into practice right away.
If you want more information and tips like these on how to set up a solid content marketing plan, check out this article.
Content Marketing Is Worth The Investment
The statistics are clear: Content marketing is highly valuable and it can take your brand from zero to hero–but most likely not overnight.
However, with the help of experts who have the experience of helping brands like yours succeed with their content marketing, you can slash the time it takes you to achieve success. And we are happy to say that we’ve made this process easy for you. Let us show you how with a free trial to our platform. With your trial, you will receive three free content ideas, a free piece of optimized content, and a custom promotion plan with no commitment required on your part. Now, that’s worth it!