Are your marketing campaigns struggling to resonate with target audiences? Do they fail to generate customer engagement or increase demand for your offerings? It may end up feeling like you’re banging your head against the wall with traditional advertising and outreach efforts.

In today’s interconnected world, what people really care about is information… and not just any information. Clients and consumers aren’t that interested in the newest features and specs on your latest product launch. They want information that they can use in their everyday lives.

That’s where content marketing comes in.

Content marketing occupies the void between educational seminars, news media stories and outright product pitches. Think of it as a way to build name recognition and goodwill without overtly pushing your products and services.

Here are 3 reasons why you should consider implementing some content marketing pieces in your next long-term marketing plan.

1)     You know your audience

You know who your target customers are: their gender, income level, education level, where they live, what they do. Use that to provide them with information you know they’ll use and appreciate. If you’re in healthcare, share new public health studies or an article on the latest robot hand through social media. If you work in energy, write a blog entry on investment in renewables. If there is a topic that you follow for work, odds are that your ideal clients will care about it too.

2)    Good content spreads itself

A well thought out and helpful piece of content will make the rounds on its own with little impetus needed. Readers who enjoy the content will ‘Like” it on Facebook, retweet it on Twitter, email it to friends and colleagues and maybe even repost it to their LinkedIn groups. Right there you have fans of your work that are doing your marketing for you. Good content marketing can be picked up by large publishers who can share it with thousands more; they may even ask you for an interview or a guest blog on the topic.

3)    Don’t be left behind

Content marketing establishes your expertise on a subject and your influence in a market. 86% of B2C marketers and 91% of B2B marketers currently use some form of content marketing. You may end up covering similar territory as some competitors, but that just makes your unique insights stand out even more. Webinars, videos and mobile content that educate and entertain your audience can be key factors in their future decision-making. Don’t let rivals outmaneuver your for mindshare.

Ultimately, content marketing is a proven way to win over the hearts and minds of your target customers, without knocking them over the head with expensive ad campaigns. Create good content and the sales will follow.

Wondering where to start? Let us know, we’d love to get together for a chat to bounce ideas off each other.