In a world of never-ending possibilities, the battlefor customer acquisitioncan seem more intense than running the business itself. When the same product is offered throughout, how can you, as a seller, stand out and reach the mass of customers?

The Online Generation

You may sell the best products in the market. But what do you sell that your competitors don’t? What do you offer that the customers will want to spend their money on? To establish yourself as a successful business, you must work to embed your name in the hearts of the buyers. They must know that what you sell is authentic and worth the price tag. You must show your customers that you are selling more than just a product.

The evolution of the internet has opened up a new global platform that reaches the customers faster and leaves a lasting impact.

While traditional marketing focuses on Product, Pricing, Placement and Promotion, which are the physical attributes of a commodity, e-Marketing or Content Marketing, gives life to a product. The customer, who is virtually seeing and experiencing the product will know it’s worth and recognize its quality without having to physically see the product.

That is the power of words. They can be compelling without being manipulative if used properly. That idea which sprawled in the online content is the product’s projection which will be planted in the minds of the readers.

When the reader, who is also the customer, can get updates, information and reviews on a product at the comfort of his home, he/she is more likely to be convinced of the authentic value of the product.

How does content marketing affect sales and profitability?

The concept of putting your content out there, right in front of the customer, is what is known as Influencer Marketing. Influencer Marketing, which is the primary attribute in online Content Marketing, has influenced the business and sales in the following ways:

• 46{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of Indian consumers opt to click and peruse relevant ads while browsing online.
• In the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, an escalating growth has been recorded in sales in the UK outlets due to the increase in their content displayed in popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and Social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. The retail sales have seen an increase of 18{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} apart from the online sales, which has also increased by 13{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616}.
• 65{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of leading marketing researchers believe that visual content has a higher reach than auditory content.
• B2C (Business to Customer) businesses such as retail brands depend 60{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} on Influencer marketing of their content online. 63{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of those retailers have seen an increase in their retail sales due to Content Marketing.
• It’s no wonder that 75{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of businesses around the world have resorted to Content Marketing.
• 45{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of sellers say that blogging online is their #1 marketing strategy.
• Mobile browsing, which is the quickest accessible tool in online marketing, is said to create a sustained 72{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} increase in the readability and usage of online content.

The Verdict

Content marketing is a concept that has to be taken seriously. It is a boon for retailers who wish to grow and expand their brand. In this digital age, investing your two primary resources of Time and Cost in Content Marketing will not only decrease your expenditures but will help you make three times more profit than the predicted profit you could get as a result of traditional marketing.

Believe it or not, Content Marketing has been foreseen as a $300 Billion Industry by 2019, which means that it will become twice as bigas what it is today.

Investing in content marketing seems the safe bet and the wise choice, given the benefits you will reap out of it.