Online businesses and website owners eventually learn what the most successful marketers already know: that quality content is worth the cost. With the variety of online tools available, including social media, it is easy to see just what role that web content plays with regard to the success of any online business.
The Art of the Story
The ancient, and yes, sacred art of storytelling, are key aspects of just about every type of writing – from fiction to journalism and into marketing. In ancient times, storytelling was used as a tool to inform and educate. In the modern world, stories are still being told to enlighten and entertain, as well as promote. Marketing incorporates both the technicalities of fact, as well as the associated behind the facts presented.
The very same writing techniques are used in marketing to promote businesses, just in a slightly different fashion. There is a story behind everything, and that includes products and services. For example, the story any firm that really wants to use to promote itself, would be how their products or services are used by their customers. This type of story can appear in everything from a short advertising blurb, to an article, full-scale white paper and beyond.
The reason that storytelling is so key to marketing is that the techniques are relied upon in developing the most interesting and compelling online content. It is, after all, the story within the content that inspires and motivates involvement and action.
Digital Web Content
In the digital web space, marketing efforts rely heavily upon quality content. Social web content, blogging, online articles and press releases are some of the more popular types of information created by marketers and advertisers. Because each of these types of writing may also be so easily interconnected, this makes them even more effective and far reaching.
The more far reaching information is, the more people will see it. This is why it is so important to produce the best web content possible that suits the goals and purposes of your organization. Whatever is published in connection with your business adds to its reputation and contributes to its branding efforts in ways that many business owners might not ever realize.
Quality Content Branding Advantages
Marketers have realized that brands have essentially become publishers. As such, they have recognized the need that exists for original, pertinent and regularly updated quality content in order to succeed at:
- Driving web traffic;
- Building brand awareness;
- Ensuring ongoing brand engagement; and
- Developing customer loyalty.
However, maintaining interest in any business requires more than merely churning out web content. Keeping consumers engaged and acquiring new customers entails providing information that they appreciate, find useful and will be compelled to respond to.
Related: 5 Tips for Creating Quality Content for a Target Audience
Advantages of Quality Content
Along with the success of content marketing has come a much greater emphasis on business and company tactics that attract target audiences, while keeping them engaged, in order to persuade them with:
- blogging;
- compelling website content;
- regular E-newsletters;
- and other forms of useful or entertaining information.
Frequently updated quality content that is produced with an eye toward the above can be instrumental in delivering:
- The highest visibility on search engines;
- Increased traffic to the website;
- Web traffic conversion to sales leads and transactions;
- Establishing company, business or organization brands;
- Consumer interest and customer engagement through social media; and
- Building brand trust and loyalty.
According to a survey conducted by Readex Research, marketers have seen their best results come from:
- social web content;
- e-newsletters; and
- blogging.
In addition, over 80 percent of the survey respondents indicated they will spend more to have professionally written, customized, value-added copy. Savvy business owners appreciate the value of engaging and creative storytelling.
The best marketing writing techniques include professionally customized and well-crafted material. Those are the qualities considered most important, when business owners evaluate outsourcing partners for web content needs.
Writing for People
Professional marketers understand that it is more important that blog and website copy be written for the people intended, rather than simply to rank in search engines. While SEO is important, it is the quality of the content that will matter in the end. No one wants to read a bunch of keywords strung together or a piece that is obviously designed to attract search engines, rather than people.
Value of Outsourcing
According to PR Newswires’s 2011 Marketing Survey, one of the biggest challenges for any online business is how to address creating consistent quality content. For companies of all sizes, it is more feasible to find the best web content providers and resources.
