8 Benefits of Content Marketing for Online Growth

Content is, in many ways, the bread and butter of any brand’s online marketing strategy. From eye-catching videos and infographics to educational blogs and whitepapers, content is foundational to sustainable business growth.

Unlike paid media bursts, the value of content marketing or working with the right content marketing agency compounds over time. Content attracts audiences. It engages them. And, most importantly, it converts them into loyal, long-time customers.

There’s a reason that content marketing has become the go-to tool for leading businesses and their marketing teams. In fact, there are at least eight reasons.

This in-depth breakdown will cover those reasons, exploring the benefits of content marketing and offering tips on how best to leverage it.

1. Build Long-Term Organic Traffic

For starters, any content that a brand creates becomes a permanent fixture. While pay-per-click ad campaigns are often ephemeral, content—videos, whitepapers, and the like—can become a mainstay on any website or social media page.

When that content follows search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, it becomes a siren song for audiences searching for relevant terms. Like a moth to the flame, potential buyers who fit within the target market segment flock to the website or landing page—no ongoing ad spend required.

And when those intrigued buyers reach their destination, what do they find?

Content. Loads of it. A site full of content is a treasure trove of entertainment and education; a place audiences can spend hours browsing.

That permanence hints at the long-term value of content. Because it doesn’t go away, the collection grows. Each piece of content is a point of entry into a branded world. The more quality content a business produces, the more traffic the brand can accumulate over time.

Best of all, every click is 100% organic. Sure, it costs money to create content, but there’s no additional expense in sharing it. And over time, the cumulative effect of all that content will pay dividends.

2. Increase Brand Awareness and Authority

For those prospective buyers who enter the funnel via organic content, that piece of media is often their first impression of the brand. As such, content marketing should be seen as a powerful brand awareness tool.

Between search engine queries and social media algorithms, there are countless ways to discover a brand—then get to know it—through content.

Educational content, in particular, is an organization’s best friend. Not only does informative content show up in organic searches, but it also positions brands as a trusted industry resource. Any business that can speak confidently about a product and its place in the market is sure to be worth its salt—at least, that’s the perception for potential buyers.

Depending on what makes sense for the vertical, brands can produce educational content like:

• Blogs.
• Whitepapers.
• eBooks.
• Infographics.
• Survey results.
• How-to videos.
• Podcasts.

Regardless of the format, strong content helps establish credibility and top-of-mind awareness among potential customers.

3. Generate and Nurture Qualified Leads

To be clear, content marketing is far more than a top-of-funnel tool. Content can capture and retain interest at every stage of the buyer journey—from awareness to decision and beyond.

Content marketing is especially useful as a mid-funnel growth driver, helping brands generate and nurture leads.

For instance, a new prospect could receive a taste of the brand through an organically found blog, then be enticed to learn more—in exchange for their email address, of course. Using this method, brands can leverage gated “premium” assets, such as eBooks and webinars, to turn traffic into leads, ultimately fueling the workflows that produce revenue.

With more (and better) leads, businesses can grow their customer base faster than ever.

4. Support Every Stage of the Buyer Journey

It bears repeating: Content marketing can apply to all parts of the customer journey. Content is a multifaceted tool that can—and should—always play a role in growth strategies.

While many pieces of content work at multiple stages of the buyer journey, some are best suited to specific moments. Below are the three stages of the journey and the content types that see the most success:

• Awareness – At this stage, buyers respond well to blog posts, videos, and infographics—anything relatively short and attention-grabbing.
• Consideration – As they move forward, potential customers become more interested in how a brand’s solution can help them. Case studies and buying guides fit the bill.
• Decision – Arriving at the end of the journey, customers appreciate product comparisons and testimonials, as these content types validate their decision.

5. Improve SEO Rankings and Online Visibility

Many businesses struggle to stand out in a sea of competitors, especially in the beginning.

With content marketing, businesses can rise above the rest—literally. High-quality, keyword-optimized content boosts search engine rankings, making brands more visible to potential buyers.

The benefit of visibility comes with a few sub-benefits, including:

• More discoverability – The higher a site ranks in searches, the more people will see it. If a brand comes up on the second SERP (search engine results page), they can usually forget being discovered: Few users make it past the first page.
• More traffic – When people see, they click. And more people are going to click on the top-ranked site of a search engine result page than on the 10th-ranked site. 
• More conversions – With extra traffic comes additional opportunities to convert. Every click-through has the chance to become a sale.

6. Reduce Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)

At the end of the day, one of the biggest advantages of content marketing is financial. When executed well, content can significantly lower a brand’s reliance on expensive paid media—saving thousands in the process.

In our recent blog post, “Why Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) Are Rising—And What Fashion Leaders Can Do About It,” we spoke with Hanna Lane, Group Director, Fashion at Power Digital, who put it simply:

“Everything is more expensive—including digital advertising. If a brand was paying $20 for CAC in 2020, the cost will naturally be higher today due to inflation and rising competition.”

Lilly Fuhrman, Senior Account Director at Power Digital, adds another important layer. “It’s not necessarily new, “ she says. “There’s always volatility, but the fundamental question is: are brands focusing their budget on the most incremental channels and tactics?”

That’s where content marketing shines. It allows brands to generate inbound interest organically—without burning through budget. Compared to outbound prospecting or paid ads, organic traffic and inbound leads come at a much lower cost. And when you’re attracting the same volume of buyers with less spend, your CAC drops.

Lower CAC means brands can reinvest savings into other growth plays—or double down on content and media strategies with greater confidence, knowing each dollar is working harder.

7. Strengthen Customer Relationships and Loyalty

While there are endless ways to leverage content marketing throughout the initial buyer journey, it can also be utilized post-sale to deepen engagement. Whether through public channels or directly via email, content is a vessel for connection.

Businesses can strengthen their bond with existing audiences with tailored content like:

• Brand updates – Product launches and internal updates give customers a sense of exclusivity and a feeling of being “in the know.”
• Behind-the-scenes insights – By sharing more about the people and processes that make the business tick, brands can invite customers further into the fold. BTS content offers a closer look at the inner mechanisms while emphasizing the human-ness of the brand.
• Ongoing tips and tricks – Although education is often seen as a top-of-funnel tactic, it’s just as applicable to existing customers, who expect lasting value from their initial investment. When a juicer company sends out recipes or a chain of fitness facilities shares essential workouts, they’re solidifying the brand-buyer bond.

Ultimately, consistent communication builds long-term loyalty, and loyalty leads to growth. Need proof? Here it is: 76% of consumers prefer to buy from brands they feel a connection with.

8. Fuel Other Marketing Channels and Campaigns

Perhaps the greatest benefit of content marketing is its potential for reuse.

Admittedly, the cost of developing a well-researched whitepaper or long-form video can be steep. However, these projects are not single-use.

To understand this notion, consider the following example. A single whitepaper can be repurposed as:

• A blog — A condensed version of the whitepaper can be published as a blog, or insights from the paper can inform an article.
• An infographic – Takeaways from the original document can become a snappy infographic for sharing on social media.
• A podcast episode – Employees can discuss the topics explored in the whitepaper—or even read it aloud, audiobook-style—for an auditory audience.

In the same vein, a long-form video can be cut into snippets for TikTok or placed as a YouTube ad. One case study can become a dozen Instagram posts.

In essence, content marketing is as sustainable as can be; it’s a form of recycling. A strong content engine can have an outsized impact across a brand’s entire marketing ecosystem.

Content Marketing is a Growth Engine, Not a Tactic

Developing a functional content strategy is an investment, yes, but it’s one that pays for itself many times over.

Content marketing is sustainable, scalable, and super-effective. Thanks to its many benefits—from building authority to generating leads on the cheap—it can drive online growth at unprecedented rates.

Our advice? Stop viewing content marketing as a tactic. It’s a full-on growth engine—one that’s worthy of a long-term investment. Because when the content engine is firing on all cylinders, the rest of the business follows suit. Every other marketing and sales initiative picks up steam.

If you need support with any of it, turn to Power Digital. Our content and digital marketing experts have been tracking trends for years, and we’re ready to make this year your year. Contact us to find out more.

Sources: 

Forbes. Competing On More Than Price: How Branding Can Build Revenue. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/05/09/competing-on-more-than-price-how-branding-can-build-revenue/