8 Reasons to Use Content Marketing for Organic Brand Promotion

We hear marketing executives and entrepreneurs talk about the importance of content marketing as part of your brand strategy. But what does that look like for your brand?

Think about how you search for information online. Most of us scroll past the paid ads at the top of the search results page and check out the organic search results. Why? Because we don’t want to be sold to. We want to conduct research and find answers for ourselves before deciding to make a transaction online.

That doesn’t mean you should stop running ads and focus solely on organic content marketing. It’s actually an important supplement for your ad campaigns and can help your ads perform better, saving you money in the process.

Here are 8 reasons to use content marketing for organic brand promotion:

1. Content Marketing Improves Your Organic SEO Rank

   What page your content lands on in Google organic search results is equivalent to where you land when playing Monopoly. Showing up on page one of organic search results is like owning Boardwalk or Park Place. It’s prime real estate and worth putting in the effort to get there. That means you will show up on the same page as the people paying for ads, but you don’t have to pay. And people are more likely to click on organic search results, especially for information, so moving your content up to SERP 1 is one of the most important reasons to invest in content creation and content marketing.

2. It Helps Generate More Qualified Leads 

   The result of using organic content to increase search traffic is that it brings more people to the top of your sales funnel. This strategy is especially effective when you make content that isn’t tied to sales. When you create informative content that answers questions, explains concepts, and shares wisdom, you are building an engaged audience. These friends and followers are far more likely to do business with you than cold leads that find your product or services through advertising.

3. Content Helps Convert Sales 

   Content isn’t just a way to generate new leads. It can also help you move people down your sales funnel. By educating your audience about how your products or services measure up to competitors, you can help them along the buyer’s journey (or down the funnel). You can help convert sales with user-generated content, for example, where you prompt a content creator to talk about your product or service. This method can be valuable since a possible customer or client can identify with a member of your audience.

4. More Content = More Brand Awareness 

   According to Small Biz Genius, it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember a brand. So, the more content you create for the beginning of the buyer’s journey, the more likely someone is to choose your brand later based on brand recall. Think about what content you can create for your audience before they start to shop. Offering educational content, for example, can help you make a positive impression on your audience without appearing like you are just trying to make a sale. This content can benefit your brand during the comparison phase of the buyer’s journey down the line.

5. It Communicates Your Brand’s Value 

   Some brands take for granted what the average person knows about their values. It’s imperative to share pieces of your brand identity on your websites like your value proposition, mission, values, and other information that increase transparency and confidence in your work. Your content marketing strategy should communicate your brand values to your audience consistently across platforms.

6. You Can Use Content Marketing to Create New Revenue Streams and Brand Offshoots

   Content creation can be a springboard for new concepts, brand offshoots, and new revenue streams. A great example of this is the Michelin guide, a content marketing initiative of the Michelin Tire Company in 1900. This strategy of creating a guide for drivers hitting the open road for the first time became a publication known globally for something completely separate from the original business of selling tires. When you see a Michelin-rated restaurant in your city, ask yourself what you could do to create a new revenue stream or brand offshoot for your company.

7. It’s How You Tell Your Brand Story

   Just as it’s necessary to share your brand values with your audience, it’s equally important that we tell our own stories. While social media and public relations are great ways to get your story out, make sure your brand story is always on your website as the final word. This content is how you control the narrative for your brand.

8. Content Can Help Answer Frequently Asked Questions Online Instead of Over the Phone

   Finally, creating informative content is a great way to cut down on the same questions you or your team answer every day. It also helps to provide context to search engines about what you do. So, invest some time creating an FAQ section for your website to help current and potential customers find answers on your website. This content can help close sales and cut down on time spent on the phone and email inquiries.