lauraortizNumbers don’t lie – thought leadership is in demand. Outsourcing customers – just like their peers in other industries – want to do their jobs better. And they are hungry for knowledge about smarter operating models, vendor management insights and tools that bring transformative benefits to the operation of outsourcing programs.Content marketing, a concept that has exploded over the years, is one of the key tools vendors can apply to reach this critical audience segment.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that decision-making audiences are willing to exchange their email addresses (and more) for the opportunity to obtain high quality information relevant to their businesses. By presenting relevant and authoritative content, outsourcing services providers have the chance to begin to cultivate a brand-aware relationship with prospective clients. Brand-building is incredibly important in an industry like Latin America outsourcing services, which has only just begun to take root over the last ten years. The bottom line: Content marketing, with products like white papers and eBooks, are proven methods of attracting new prospects and customers.
Content Marketing is not hype. Here are five reasons why engaging with prospects and customers through thought leadership principles should be one of the most important topics in your next sales and marketing meetings.
1-Decision Makers Desire Content
- “9 out of 10 Chief Marketing Officers believe that custom content has a positive effect on audience attitudes, strengthening the bond with customers.” (HubSpot’s 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report)
- “61% of people feel better about a company that delivers custom content and are more likely to buy from that company” (Custom Content Council)
2- Generate Leads
- “B2B companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month on average than non-blogging firms”. (Social Media B2B)
- “Organic search leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound marketing leads have a 1.7% close rate.” (Hubspot)
3- Impact Purchase Decision
- “31% of white paper readers consider the papers they read most often to be invaluable in making a purchase decision,” (TechTarget)
- “Custom media positively impacts purchase decisions. Two-thirds of consumers say the information provided by custom media helps them make better purchase decisions. More than half say they are more willing to buy another product from a company that provides them with custom media” (Roper Public Affairs)
4- Build Relationships and Establish your Brand as an Authority
- “78% of people believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them” (Custom Content Council)
- 77% of people understand that an organization’s goal for custom content is to sell them something, but are OK with it as long as it provides value. (Custom Content Council)
5- Lower Costs
- Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads. (Demand Metrics)
- “The average cost to generate a lead through inbound marketing ($143) is about half the average for outbound marketing ($373)” (Econsultancy)
Laura Ortiz is based in the Dominican Republic and can be reached at: laura@nextcoastmedia.com
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