Links. This could be a one-word blog post. I will expand. But the answer is just that simple.
Content provides so much value to your business. Sure, good content can be a link magnet and it can expand the topical scope of your business. These are all good things. But we must not forget that solid content marketing efforts can do so much more than simply being a linkable asset for SEO purposes.
There is a great quote that succinctly puts this far better than I am managing here:
“Traditional marketing and advertising is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world that you are one.”
https://twitter.com/Robert_Rose
That nails it really – the true value of content is showing your potential audience just what you can do. Being a smarty pants, basically. You are in the trenches each day and things that you do daily that you take for granted are hugely important to your audience.
I think we all now start most tasks with a Google search. How do I do this? Google it. We find a great article detailing exactly what is involved. Sure, some folks will use that information themselves, but a larger majority will simply think, ‘these guys really know what they are doing – let’s get in touch’.
As an example, I am renovating a house. I find it bewildering how to remove a door frame, but my builder shows me in 2 seconds. Create important and useful information that you can share and use as a strategic marketing asset and not just an SEO asset. Share and promote that on Facebook, and have an FAQ section on your renovations site. Nailing it.
Once content is freed from its SEO shackles you can write a blog post without worrying if it will earn you links. You can promote your blog content on social networks and pay to get it in front of the right people. You can create content that helps people and know that if only 10 relevant people a day come to your website and read that piece it does not matter – any of those 10 folks could be a game changer for your business.
There is more to content than links. There is more to content than SEO. Content helps people find you, engage with you, and ultimately choose to start a conversation. Isn’t that what all marketing is really about?
Don’t tell people you are a rock star – show them you are a rock star.
