There's nothing new about offering freebies in order to drive interest in paid services. This strategy was in use long before the advent of the Internet. These days, content marketing helps to generate leads and increase conversion rates.
By producing and distributing valuable content to current and prospective clients, you not only have the opportunity to prove your authority in the rapidly growing field of IT services, but you can target a specific audience to bring in traffic, build a rapport, and boost conversion rates.
According to internet marketing expert Neil Patel, a focus on content marketing could increase your website conversion rates more than five times. By contrast, taking a cavalier approach to content creation is likely to show returns of 0.5% or less. Clearly, content marketing is the way to go.
How can your IT company get started with content marketing, and what benefits do you stand to gain in the process? How can you ensure a significant return with content marketing?
A solid content marketing strategy begins with your blog, which provides an ideal platform for optimization. Unlike your standard website content, your blog can be updated frequently with fresh, compelling content that is rich in trending and targeted keywords.
This, in turn, drives search engine recognition and rankings, as well as inbound marketing, and it allows you to connect with prospective clients without using hard-sell tactics. Content marketing through your company blog is a great way to build relationships with prospective clients and offer added value for current clientele because you're virtually giving it away for free.
Blogging provides the perfect chance to establish your authority, as well as your personality, creating an experience that is both educational and engaging. When you imbue your blog with your own personality and interact with readers by replying to comments, you open the lines of communication, put a human face on your company, and begin to build trust.
You do this without necessarily asking for something in return. In time, you can push "gated content" in exchange for contact information, promote products and services, encourage sharing, and subtly remind prospective clients that you also offer paid services. Once you have educated prospects, you won't need to sell them on what you have to offer.
Content marketing starts with your blog, but it should be extended to other channels. For example, you can share links to your posts on social media accounts or through email marketing. This increases your ability to reach and interact with current and prospective clients in a meaningful way without necessarily requiring additional resources.
The big question for any IT company is: what kind of returns can I expect from my content marketing efforts? To begin, content marketing is less expensive than traditional marketing. You stand to save as much as 62%, according to DemandMetric, and you could see three times as many leads in the process.
HubSpot reports that 82% of online marketers will see at least some measure of positive ROI where inbound marketing is concerned when they engage in blogging, including up to 55% more site visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more instances of site indexing. You may have to hone your content marketing strategies to see the greatest returns, but when you support an active blog, you're going to see a bump in conversions one way or another.
If your IT company is looking to generate more qualified leads, and develop a digital marketing strategy designed for long-term growth, contact OptimWise today to learn more about our inbound marketing campaigns designed specifically for IT service providers like you. OptimWise can operate as your outsourced marketing team, or work collaboratively with your in-house marketing team to build a sustainable digital marketing plan with long-term ROI.
