How To Make The Case For Content Marketing And Win More Work

Content marketing is still here. It may be as old as the hills, but the benefits are not going away, and the vast majority of brands are still interested in content. Agencies, therefore, have to make sure they are providing effective content marketing solutions to clients.

However, if we were to say that all content is good, we would be telling a bit of a lie. Content still needs to be of the highest quality, and if you’re working for a client, you need to make sure it is of the highest quality you can muster.

Digital agencies also have to bear in mind that their clients will be looking for expertise too. If a brand itself can create its own content (or feel that it makes sense to) then the work for digital agencies will disappear.

The business goals thing

Every digital agency will be asked at an early part of a client relationship a simple question. This question can prove hard to answer though, and this is because confidence and understanding of content marketing have to be there first.

The question is: why do we need content?

The client may add more to the question too. They may say that they have visitors and that their site looks great. They may also query the value of the content itself. Answering the question well can be the difference between adding to the value you bring to your client and losing out on business. Tying into business goals around growth and expansion, or even just lead gathering, makes the answer even stronger.

Basically, the reason why brands need content can be broken down into one word: value. This value is shown in two areas. Firstly, good content will bring in new website traffic. This provides the brand with more prospects. Secondly, good content gives the brand an opportunity to convert visitors, via the website, into buyers. So it boils down to offering even more value to your client and the brand.

There are two main ways to deal with the first area of attracting new visitors to a website. The best way is to develop high quality blog content that informs and educates the audience. This content should demonstrate the authority and experience the brand has.

Blog post writing is now in a state that, done right, can truly present your client as a thought leader. With audiences turned off short ‘seen it all before’ content that has essentially been rewritten, it’s the perfect climate for a strong brand to produce truly thought-provoking and intelligent content.

If that is something that your agency can develop, it should become part of a strong marketing plan. Essentially, an audit of your client’s customer base and what their interests are will be helpful.

Then, a content calendar can be drawn up for the coming year. Blog posts around those interests and needs are then planned, and will build up a knowledge base that your client’s audience will truly appreciate. Out of this comes social sharing, and therefore more visits to the website.

The other way to deal with site content (and keeping it fresh) is to produce news items around the industry your client is in. This is all about keeping your finger on the pulse and then creating news items around what is happening, along with your agency’s expert opinion on what is going on. This takes less time than original blog content, and it also shows the audience that your client is right there in the moment, and knows what matters to the audience.

So that’s how new traffic arrives through content. What about what happens when they get to the site?

Conversion-based content marketing

The other kind of content (different to the traffic attraction kind) is the conversion-based work your digital agency should be offering to clients. Here, the content is designed specifically to turn the site visitors that arrive into paying customers. So right there you can see how a digital agency can present two packages to clients, one for traffic and authority building, and one for conversion of new leads.

The very best way to ensure this happens is to show true authority. Your client will need to present themselves as an industry leader. As well as great blog content and news content, you also have to dig deep into authority building work.

Dense, detailed how-to guides help in this regard, and that’s why so many brands who have authority develop how-to series blog and article content. It draws people in, and helps them. But on top of all that, it also presents the brand as an expert voice. People are reassured by quality and expertise, which is why this conversion-based content is so powerful.

This expertise needs to be obvious in all areas of the site, from product descriptions, all the way to white papers and reports that are produced and given away to site visitors. By showing expertise, you are pulling site visitors along towards buying.

Back to those goals

No brand wants to stagnate. By making it clear that there are two strong ways in which content marketing helps a brand reach its goals, you can make a good case for content marketing. It should be part of every digital agency’s work, and brands will certainly understand that a website is not static in nature.

Fresh, useful and well-written content around that site keep it moving forward, and bringing in more loyal customers. If anything, content marketing is now more important than ever.

Want to add more value for clients? Try Locowise for some of the best metrics around. You can have it free for seven days too.