Traditional marketing has been around for quite a while. So much that most of it is already obsolete. It no longer coincides with what people want and how they want to be treated. To put it simply, it is not the best marketing strategy out there.
Every year, new marketing strategies and mediums are sprouting out. A decade ago, online marketing made big news and years after, social media marketing followed. It’s one after another, but despite the variety of options available, most people still stick with traditional marketing.
If you are wondering why traditional marketing doesn’t seem to hit the grave, the answer is simple, it’s culture. How many times have you heard about investing in traditional marketing strategies just because it is the standard?
Apparently, people find it hard to stir away from the traditional because they think it is a must. It has always been there, therefore, it should be there. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Statistics has shown that 86% of people skip TV adverts, 44% ignore direct mail marketing, and 91% unsubscribe to company email subscriptions.
So, if that’s what is happening, what should be your top marketing strategy approach? The answer is content. Content marketing is providing useful content to your consumers to stimulate interest and attention to your overall brand.
The question is, why is this the best, especially if you are a small business?
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Content Speaks Volumes
Traditional marketing invokes feeding your customers with information they didn’t ask for. For example, TV ads, radio ads, and even those ads on Youtube that you cannot skip. People didn’t look for them and therefore, have no interest. What happens is that you are investing on trying to have people look at something which they are likely going to ignore.
Don’t think that is entirely true? You will be amazed with the statistics. In 2015 alone, an estimated 200 million people used ad blockers. Five years after, that number has reached to 615 million devices. That’s more than triple. Year after year, more people are trying to evade obstructive paid traditional marketing strategies.
As a matter of fact, 11% of the global internet population right now are blocking ads. So, while you are investing your money and doing your best, people are doing all that they can to have none of it.
So, how does all of that stack up against content marketing?
Content marketing entails creating and providing useful content. It is not just talking about your brand. It is also about curating articles that are objectively helpful that will be sought out regardless if a person is in need of your product or service.
In content marketing, you don’t reach out to your consumers. Instead, people look to you for answers and they potentially become leads.
What Do the Numbers Suggest?
You might be skeptical. You might be asking how much better is content marketing against traditional marketing? In the end, is it really the better choice?
The answers to your questions are simple. The difference between the two is so big that no matter what compromise you do with traditional marketing, content marketing will still reign victorious. So, how huge is the gap?
Statistics show that content impacts the decisions of consumers greatly. 53% say that offering free content on a topic that they are interested in is effective in getting them interested on the brand. 82% of consumers find a brand more enticing and trustworthy after reading custom content they have curated.
It is not just about how content influences the decision of customers, it is also what people general prefer. In a survey, 70% of people say that learning a company through an article is more preferable, if not better, than any kind of advertisement.
So Many Great Things, But How About the Cost?
There are so many great things about content marketing, so does it come with a cost? That’s the great thing, despite how much significantly better it is, you don’t necessarily have to pay more. As a matter of fact, content marketing significantly costs less.
The cheaper price can be attributed to the fact that you don’t have to subscribe to paid ads. Implementing content marketing is all about curating articles, blogs, and videos on your website. The only thing you have to pay on a regular is to keep your website running. That is why your expenses take a significant nose dive.
However, you also have the flexibility to invest a little more if you want to. Google ads, for example, might be paid ads but they only come up when someone is already searching for it. You just make sure that your content comes out first out of all the rest.
Can you put a number on how much cheaper content marketing is? Definitely. According to a survey, on average, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing. For the cheaper price, it is more effective in generating leads at 3 times more per dollar spent.
Are You Alone in This?
You might not have heard about content marketing from your friends, family, or even business associates, but it is definitely out there. As a matter of fact, 73% of brands have been reported to have hired someone to manage their content marketing strategy.
As content marketing proves to be the better alternative, that percentage just keeps on increasing. It is showing no sign of going down and for good reasons.
Have you heard about a company called Groove? It is a software startup and pivoted their marketing on content. Guess what happened? Through guest posting and other similar approaches, the audience reach of the company easily went over 1 million.
Is Content Marketing Really King for Small Businesses?
The biggest challenge among small businesses is operating costs. Most are still starting out and cannot shell out too much on keeping the business afloat. On average, 25% of budget goes to marketing and that significantly puts small businesses on a tight spot. Decreasing marketing expenses by more than half can bring a business quite far.
Another point to look at is the need for a fast return on investment. In order to make this happen, your business needs to find a market and an avid audience. With content marketing being three times more effective, it helps in reaching that target faster.
If you are still not sold, remember that 88% of consumers search online to seek information. A huge population do not depend on traditional marketing, but instead on their capacity to search. Just by curating custom content, you are opening yourself to a huge audience effortlessly.
We do understand that content marketing is not a walk in the park. There are things you need to learn and you got to do it fast. If you don’t have the time and resources, you need not worry, there is always help on its way. What you need is the assistance of the best online marketing agency. Contact us today for a free strategy consultation.
