How does content writing help a business?

Clarify Your Sales Pitch

While content marketing should generally provide value to your audience, you can still use it to promote your products and services on a more limited basis. For example, a cloud accounting software provider could create a blog post on using a SaaS accounting platform versus tracking expenses in Excel.

But if you can’t clearly convey the benefits in a blog post, then you might be missing the mark in your sales pitches too, especially if the people involved in content creation also play a role in sales. So, taking the time to think through the most important points for this type of topic can then give your sales team clear talking points. Sales teams can also repurpose blog posts for social media or sales decks.

Staying Relevant

Content writing is one of the most impactful ways a person or company can be construed as an industry thought leader. As a 25-year veteran executive recruiter in the advertising and marketing niche, I post or reply to relevant topics in my industry, but only in my industry. It allows me to share my views on the hot issues-DEI, social media, working remotely, AI, and other pertinent matters-that are discussed regularly in various marketing forums.

Yet, if I were to comment on the accounting, technology, or pharmaceutical industries, my knowledge would be severely lacking. This limited view serves me well and provides my respected colleagues with a reason to view my expertise.

Thought Leadership Builds Trust, Connection, Community

Without content writing, there’s no content marketing. Without content marketing, there’s no marketing. And without marketing, there’s no business. Without the bridge to customers that marketing builds and sustains, companies can’t thrive. Framed this way, it’s clear that great content is at the heart of great companies. And thought leadership–sharing ideas that show your expertise on topics central to your business–is a core part of a great content strategy.

Thought leadership’s impact is hard to measure, but its return on investment is the trust, connection, and community it creates when done well. It builds trust by proving you know your stuff–that you have what it takes to solve your customers’ problems and make their lives easier. Every sound relationship is founded on trust, so this content type is also a catalyst for connection with your buyers. Over time, the trust and connection you build through thought leadership creates a community that believes in what you do and sell.

Showcases Brand Personality to Engage Ideal Customers

Writing content gives you the opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality so that it captures the attention of and resonates with your ideal customer. It’s your chance to stand out among your competitors and take a unique, personal, and memorable approach to marketing your company.

So, don’t be afraid to show some sass, heap on the humor, lather on the luxury, or revel in the reality of day-to-day life. Your target market will notice and appreciate how your brand aligns with how they think, feel, and live. Remember: The best content will be relatable, shareable, and keep your raving fans coming back for more. That way, your product or service will always be top of mind when audience members are ready to buy.

Helps Retain Customers and Reduce Churn

Content strategy is often associated with attracting new customers, but it’s also a powerful tool for retaining existing ones. Maintaining regularly updated content channels like a blog or newsletter creates a source of reliable information for customers and increases the value provided by the company.

Customer-centric content can be leveraged as continued education (of the industry or the product), to create a smooth onboarding process, and even to upsell. Using feedback from customer-facing roles within the organization can help inform the content strategy so it targets relevant pain points, questions, and educational opportunities from existing customers.

Dramatically Improves Organic Traffic

In addition to establishing thought leadership for brands, content writing can directly improve organic traffic for digital channels. Content that is optimized for tone, authority, and SEO keywords increases the priority the search engines place on it, improving its rank and raising website/brand visibility. This benefit is one of the primary top-of-funnel applications for content, frequently expressed as long-form blogs (800+ words) that target the top of the sales funnel.

Improved rank builds awareness of a business or solution, allowing readers to seek further information to continue their brand journey. Employing this approach has led to results of 200%+ organic traffic growth and above in only a few months of implementing the strategy.

Content Writing Helps Your Target Audience Find You

Content writing can help the company move up the SERP (search engine result page, aka the first page of Google), directly influencing visibility and brand awareness. It’s getting harder and harder to grab attention and reach the #1 spot on Google, but well-crafted blogs focusing on the target audience’s needs work like a charm.

People buy from people or companies they know, like, and trust (the famous KLT factor). A company’s blog should educate, entertain, and convert readers into buyers. As a result, Google’s algorithm and the target audience will look at your company as an expert and source of useful information, so your audience will find you easier.

How to Use Content to Build Brand Authority

For brands that are considered the gold standard in their industry, i.e. Patagonia or Nike, this reputation didn’t come to fruition overnight. People purchase from these brands consistently because they trust them, and they trust them for good reason. Brands like these put a significant amount of effort into creating education around their industry and enlisting the help of industry experts to do so.

For instance, when people have questions about outdoor exploration, they will likely find a lot of rich and informative guidance from Patagonia. And because they have built trust in their expertise through content, customers now trust the products they recommend as well. This is a great example of how the more you can show (especially through words) that you are immersed in the industry your brand lives in, the more likely people will want to purchase from you or enlist your service.

Do Right by Your Audience With Customer-obsession

Imagine if every time your customers interacted with your content, they were better off for it. Be it through good advice and insights, inspiration around their journey, or empathy around the challenges they might be experiencing. When you prioritize customer-obsession in every content touchpoint across the buyer’s journey, you become a brand they trust and has their best interests at heart.

This not only increases conversion, and encourages repeat purchases, but transforms your customers into your biggest advocates and most powerful sales tool. Turns out doing the right thing is incredibly market-savvy!

Strengthens the Customer Journey

The customer journey is a snapshot of a consumer learning about your brand and then buying your products and services. Most people don’t buy from brands at first sight, and businesses can incorporate multiple types of content to build familiarity and present calls to action. Some content addresses questions many people have about your industry, while comparisons target consumers who know about several solutions but want to know which one is right for them. Creating content that addresses each stage of the customer journey can attract more visitors while getting them closer to the point of buying from your company.