According to a recent survey taken by WOMMA, Word of Mouth Marketing Association, the word of mouth and social media marketing activities are hot topics among the community of marketers.
In particular, according to the results of that research, the majority of respondents said that they expected a significant increase in the budget allocated to these activities (approximately +70%), while the main obstacle in using these activities was the difficulty in measuring the return on investment of these assets.
If someone asks us: “Why should I invest in word of mouth and content marketing? “, we usually respond that clearly the content is not the only method to bring traffic and generate leads, but is also a long-term value that can produce benefits related to raising the awareness, optimizing SEO and costs of conversion/paid media, and much more.
Moreover, its performance is certain: a post, in contrast to a view (according to a recent study taken by Google, 56.1% of views is not seen) or a click (Google confirms, in another research, that over 50% of the clicks on ads is accidental), is more tangible. So if you are considering an investment in content marketing and online activities of word of mouth, here are three reasons why this choice, in our opinion, is effective:
1) Credibility and Expertise
At the time when a consumer considers whether to purchase a product and/or a service, especially in a B2B area, its choice is directed towards those partners that are able to demonstrate competence and credibility. Credibility, in the meaning of ability of being a source of reliable information and value. Competence, as ability to be able to achieve the stated objectives, if someone decided to entrust to you its business. In addition, if the content is not written by you, it receives the authority from the person who wrote it.
2) Engagement
The content is a fuel of social media activities and the starting point through which you can generate an effective conversation with your target and create relationships based on loyalty and advocacy.
3) Benefits of SEO
In general, the performance of content and social media posts is something that lasts over time. They create benefits for both: the positioning of the company’s website (link popularity) and in terms of raising awareness in the search engine results page (SERP).
4) Authority and Trust
Content has more worth when the person who created it is an authority in a particular field.
It works even better in area of influencer marketing. The author, thanks to its authority, automatically adds value and makes the content even more trustworthy. Additionally, the worth comes from the person who starts word of mouth too.
What do you think? How the activities of content marketing affect within the media plan of your business? How effective are they in generating sales? Let us know in the comments below.
If you want to know more about Converged Media, read our previous article!