Are you frustrated because you're still not making the kind of money you would like to - even after you've spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours marketing your business the way everyone else told you to?
You're not alone!
We've all wasted time and money on things that don't work. In fact, statistics show that the average new Internet marketer will lose $1500 to $2500 during the first year of business on worthless products and programs.
I'm not going to lie and tell you that you don't have to spend money to get your business off the ground and keep it going, because you do, but once you're up and running it shouldn't be costing you money.
Now I'm not talking about your everyday business expenses. You do have to fork out money for website hosting, a shopping cart service, autoresponder account, and things like that. But when you start spending more money than you make driving traffic to your website, you need step back and take a serious look at your current marketing strategies.
So isn't it time to leave behind those high ticket products and old-fashioned advertising methods and learn the real deal to building a solid, long-term business? Because that's what you want don't you? A business with a foundation meant for longevity and growth.
Of course it is. And that's what this is all about. I won't be sharing some overnight success secret, or telling you how to skip all the bull and go right to the finish line. But what I will give you is insight into one of the most effective and valuable marketing techniques available to you - and it doesn't have to cost you a dime. Honest!
So what am I talking about?
Content marketing. Yup, you've probably heard about it. But what is it really?
Well, basically, it's a way to gain exposure for your business by creating high quality content and distributing it on the Internet. As a direct result, your market finds you and your products or services with minimal time and effort on your part to make it happen.
Why Is Content An Important Part Of Your Marketing Strategy?
Content is and should always be the driving force behind your business. Essentially, it's what directs traffic to you - meaning, you don't have to go out and hunt down customers; instead they come to you.
If you've been online for any amount of time, you've likely heard that "Content is King", a phrase that is especially true when it comes to marketing your business.
Why?
Because there's nothing else available that even remotely comes close to bringing you the kind of benefits content does.
Think about it…
Our society is saturated with technology and the gadgets they've produced, and consequently, we've become accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it.
So it's not surprising that the Internet has become one of the world's most valuable resources, simply because it's always there when we need - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can hop online and in a matter of minutes find information on just about anything we want to know.
And where does that information come from?
You got it - content.
See, by producing content and getting it into the hands of all those information seekers, they will find their way to your website. And that means you don't have to go out and find them, because your content does all the work for you - even while you're sleeping.
Okay, so now that you understand why content is so important, let's take a look at how it directly benefits your business:
Who Are You?
People in your hometown know who you are as well as your friends and family members. These people know if you're trustworthy or if you have your head on straight to make a go of your business.
That's great, but the people that will be purchasing your products or hiring you for your services don't know you at all. When they don't know you, how are they supposed to feel confident that you are the person they can trust when they need to buy a certain item?
Content enables them to get to know you. The Internet is a wondrous thing, but it doesn't give you the ability to meet and assist your customers in person. Which means it's much more difficult to gain customer trust quickly online as opposed to a brick and mortar store.
This is where content comes in.
Your customers will get to know you through the content you produce and distribute online. They'll be able to see first hand if you know what you're talking about when it comes your particular niche, and they'll likely be making the decision about whether or not you can be trusted when it comes time to hand over their hard earned money. Content allows you to create yourself as the "go-to" person in your niche and people will begin to associate you with a particular product or service when they're in need.
Are You For Real?
Besides the great things that the Internet gives you, it's also a hotbed of scammers and spammers. As a result, people have become incredibly wary about offers they see browsing online. There are far too many people touting their products as high-quality, and then they simply don't deliver.
Another common problem is that too many people claim that miracles will happen if they buy a certain product, and so consumers who've bought into it; anxiously await for the amazing results they'll get, only to be disappointed when it never comes to fruition.
Unfortunately, those people have made it that much more difficult for the legitimate business folks. Consumers have become hardened to all claims, valid or not, and getting them to feel confident about purchasing from can be tough to do.
Content will help soften them towards you simply because you're showing them that you're not a scammer, but a genuine expert.
Pick Me!
You may have gotten some exposure for your business, but there's still one problem you'll have to overcome, and that's that you are not the only one person selling products or services in your niche market.
You are competing against several other business owners who are all vying for the attention of your niche market. So, you will need to find a way to stand out and show potential customers that you're the go to business.
This is how content will be key for your business. You need to provide your target market with information that your competitors aren't giving them. High quality content about the chosen niche helps get you ahead as an expert in that particular field.
Do I Remember You?
How many times have you visited a website and left never to visit again? You may have liked the site, but you don't remember how to get back there or you may have even forgotten that the website ever existed.
Regardless of the reason, we may not visit the same website again the fact remains that everyday internet users view tons of websites. That means when it comes time for internet users to make a purchase, your business's website is likely the furthest thing from their mind. In order to get them to visit your website again, they need to remember that you exist.
Visiting a site only one time is not going to keep you in the forefront of your prospects minds. Therefore, you're going to sneak into their minds, so they'll remember you when they're looking for the items you're offering. Your website needs to be memorable to keep them coming back.
You need to give your visitors what they are looking for, information. Content is what is going to make your site memorable, give your visitors what they crave and keep your business website in the forefront of your prospects mind.
The more information (content) they see from your business, the more they start to remember your business name. Instead of Do I remember you?; they will be saying "Oh yeah, I remember you. You're the company that sells the products I'm looking for!"
Where Do I Go? I'm Lost.
Internet surfers are searching for information on a particular topic. You have the information they need on your website. That's great, but these internet surfers need to be able to find your website in order to see what you have to offer.
Sometimes, you may have to go where these people are in order to help them find their way to your site. Having great content on your site is key, but it's not enough. You have to expand and get your content out there, in more than one place in order to increase the chances of these potential internet surfers to find your great website.
You need to get your high quality content out on the world wide web so that people can find you. This will help the internet user to see the high quality content that you are offering as well as establish you as an expert on the particular subject. Of course, you will have a link in the content that you are putting out on the web so that the visitor can easily find your website.
Can I Really Trust You?
This is the big one. If you want your website visitors to buy anything from you than you are going to need to have their trust. The Internet has seen its share of successful business owners as well as its scammers.
These scammers will have your prospects giving the unknown business owners the suspicious eye. No one, yourself included; wants to hand over their hard-earned money to anyone and everyone.
People want to be rest assured that the person that's about to receive their business isn't someone who's going to take them to the cleaners. After all, nobody wants to throw their money into the fire and watch it burn.
Since they don't want to get taken, they will be extra cautious with who they do business with. That means that until you get into their trusted people list; you are going to have a tough time selling them your products.
The quickest and easiest way to start establishing some trust with your prospects is through your content. The content you create and publish on the web will help your prospects see what kind of person you are. They see if you know your stuff or if you can deliver what you claim your business will deliver. When you have great content, this will help them see that.
There are numerous benefits content marketing brings your business. We have just touched on a few benefits of the benefits of content marketing here to help you realize how important content is in your marketing strategy. Now it's time to move on, so you can discover how to create this great content that is going to help you reap all those business benefits.
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