Last updated on October 14th, 2022
As the world recoils in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one can sense doubt and uncertainties cropping up in all sectors. With fears of impending economic recession looming ahead, companies are tightening their purse strings.
With the digital competition heating up, everything appears to be expendable.
Except for content and content marketing!
So what makes marketing in content such a viable investment option even in times as tough as these?
Let’s explore.
Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing
The need for marketing was born when internet users were tired of Ad overload. Content marketing emerged as a more subtle form of establishing your brand over these aggressive in-your-face campaigns.
Here are a few reasons why marketing your content is important now:
1. Compounding Returns of Content Marketing
As Venture Capitalist Tomasz Tunguz stated in a recent interview: “Content is one of the few forms of marketing that has a compounding return.”
To prove this point, he wrote an excellent post on the Compounding Returns of Content Marketing detailing how high-quality content will generate the required results, not only in the present but also in the long run. Evergreen content forms the backbone of your website, and even though the number of views decays, it does so at a modest rate.
Content marketers must execute the skill of combining and marketing evergreen content, temporal blogs, and highly dynamic posts to extract maximum value from content.
2. Demand for High-Quality, Helpful Content
With the current state of despair and paranoia, everyone is looking towards the internet to feel good and safe.
Users may not necessarily seek information that is directly related to the pandemic but could be finding ways to adapt, or simply pass their time. Ultimately, the demand for high-quality and helpful content has touched an all-time high.
Right from working remotely to dealing with isolation – Content is forming the lifeline that helps audiences perform chores they once took for granted. As companies, you need to empathize with the fact that the world has flipped for most individuals.
And it is content that forms the common thread that is weaving the world together into a global community.
3. Content Marketing Budgets will get a Boost
Given the unprecedented nature of the outbreak, most companies have put marketing and paid media events on hold. As a result, the budget allocated to these activities remains unutilized.
Reallocating these funds towards content creation and content marketing can help companies realize their long-term goals even in suspended animation.
Naturally, it goes without saying that taking such a step would be a smart move. Once normalcy picks up, you will have a repository of information you can bank on during good times and bad. It will help develop trust among your clientele as you are ready to get back into action.
4. Content is the Soul of Virtual Events
With the cancellation of in-person events, conclaves, and symposiums, brands have transitioned to virtual conferences.
Shifting to the digital arena puts more stress on content to engage with the visitors and perform value-addition tasks for the attendees. With all guests fixated on their screens, and with minimum distractions in their surroundings, it is up to the content to come through. Content emerges as the determining factor that can make or break this event!
5. Puts the Client’s Needs First
Gone are the days when you could post Ads mindlessly, as though putting up fliers on a wall.
Content marketing is all about listening to your clients and giving them what they want. Following a customer-centric approach is the best way to establish your brand as reliable and trustworthy. However, in order to do so, businesses have to listen to their clients. Given the highly dynamic nature of the markets right now, it is an excellent time to put the processes on hold and listen to your clients.
Based on the inputs collected, brands must work towards instilling confidence among their customers. Further, they should focus on helping them cope with the situation and go beyond their regular call of duty. Such measures will help lay the foundation of a loyal user base.
Read More: 5 Reasons Why Content Marketing Is Important With Its Strategy
6. It is the Most Effective SEO Technique
With the sudden influx of internet users and online businesses, it is easy to drown out in the din. Investing in creating and marketing your content is the best way to differentiate your brand and stand out in the crowd.
Content creation around the topics relevant to your client requirements and optimizing it can leverage search engines to grant your brand visibility.
Something as simple as narrating a story about how the virus has affected your business along with the measures you have taken to overcome these obstacles can help instill positivity, humanize your business, and make a home in your customer’s mind.
Continuing to invest in your content marketing efforts through COVID-19 can give your business a leg-up over your competitors. Even if the efforts are at best minimal, they will still offer a better ROI than not doing anything at all!
Key Takeaway
The crucial part of marketing your content during such times is to not get dragged into general panic or fear. Exploiting such an opportunity is not only opportunistic but also inhumane. Now is the time to rise to the occasion and let the feeling of oneness flourish.
Whether you post your content as a story or as a helpful guide – it is up to the marketers to present it at its peak uplifting form.
At the end of the day, everyone seeks comfort in knowing that we’re all in this together, and content, preferably good, informative, and relevant content, is the way to go about it. A future-proof approach to content marketing and SEO, part of which is shaped by the pandemic will require both big and small changes, but they’re bound to produce rewarding results.
