I’ll be frank; more than 90% of clients that come to me to get content for their websites and blogs have no idea of the real potential of content publishing. Of course they are concerned about improving their conversion rates and increasing their search engine rankings, and they are perfectly valid concerns. But strategic content publishing can achieve more than that — it helps you setup relationships with your customers and clients, and consequently, strengthen your brand.
Content is of no use if it doesn’t make your visitors think, and once it begins to make your visitors think, you begin to strike a chord. When people think about your content, when they analyze it, when they relate to it or even when they disagree, they remember you.
The problem with the Internet is, there is too much noise here. Whether it’s blogs, news websites, or even social media and networking websites, you mostly see noise that’s of little value. There is so much noise that we even forget that we’re hearing it.
With strategic and persistent content publishing you begin to emerge as a voice, a distinct voice that makes people pause for a while and take note of what you are saying. They may not respond initially — maybe they are in a stupor, or they are indifferent, or they are simply skeptical, but as you keep on publishing content that is very hard to ignore you begin to make a mark. And this is the greatest thing you can do to acquire clients and customers in a sustainable manner — make a mark.
So when you are publishing content don’t just obsess over increasing your search engine rankings and improving your conversion rate (they’re are definitely important and you cannot ignore them) — focus on providing value. Even if you publish two paragraphs, think of how those two paragraphs can make a difference and leave a mark. How does this affect your business?
There are three things that make an impact on your business as far as promotion is concerned: constant exposure, memorability and trust. Do people see you often? Do they remember you (Ah! Amrit, of course I know him.)? Do they respect your opinion? All three are very important, and whenever you are publishing content, make sure it helps you move towards these three conditions.
Here’s a nice article from Copyblogger on how to build relationships with your content.
…relationships build the first pillar of Internet Marketing for Smart People…
Great post. Too often people add content simply as a 'duty', because a new page might attract more traffic. But you're right – creating content that makes people think adds enormous value. After all, Google will never become a customer, but your readers might.
Thank you for dropping by Nick. Actually with such thought even I'm trying to improve myself — how not to simply provide content and provide some real value.