The marketing landscape has changed,
I repeat the marketing landscape has changed!
Gone are the days of cold calls, door to door sales and shoving sales pitches down people's throats in hopes of generating new business. In are the days of content marketing and adding value to your customer before they even buy your product or service!
And I have to be honest with you... the new model, though bursting with endless opportunity, is a lot of work!
It's estimated that by the year 2020, 80% of the decision making process the consumer engages in will be done before they even talk to a representative from your company... now that's insane!
What does this mean for you?
It's Time to Add Value!
Consumers want to invest in your company as much as your product. If they believe in your business, they'll not only purchase once but they will recommend you to friends and they will come back time and time again.
Now what does adding value mean? Value added propositions can come in many forms. Here are some examples:
1. Subject Matter Expertise - your audience can rely on your knowledge of the industry when it comes to specifics. You're up to speed on new trends, you have new ideas or maybe you're the SparkNotes for your industry, saving them time by only having to read your articles.
2. Motivation/Inspiration - your potential customers like your lease on life. They come to you for that extra push to get through the day. Maybe they like your online voice or maybe they like your way of thinking, either way you make them feel good, so they come back to engage with your content.
3. Tips and Tricks - you offer your audience free advice. They like your take on the market, you provide them with ideas they might want to implement to make their lives easier. You're almost like a free consulting service and they appreciate your knowledge and cheat sheets.
Create A Community
The ultimate goal of adding value for your audience is to create a community of like minded or interested people that can support each other. If you succeed in creating this environment than you've already begun the sales process. If they believe in your company and product, you will be their first choice should they ever need your services or products.
The more people you have following your company just because of your content, the more conversions you'll have at the end of the day!