Who's the King - Customer or Content?

byRobbysGirl

875 followers

3 years ago

There's one retail clothing outlet at a local mall that I purchase from religiously. The owner, Candy, is a young woman in her late thirties who transitioned from the corporate world to follow her passion for the glamour and glitz of fashionable clothing and apparel.

Candy is always on hand to pick out suits with matching accessories for me to try. She has the brightest smile seemingly permanently fixed to her face and she's just as eager as I am to see how everything I try on fits.

I mean it when I say literally everything, as she often has me try on any and every item in the store that's my size. I feel as though I have known Candy for years and years as we talk and laugh the entire time in complete ease and comfort.

The amazing part is, sometimes I leave without purchasing a thing but Candy is just as bubbly and exhilarated throughout the entire process.

I leave feeling like I was injected with a shot of dopamine and can't wait to visit the store again.

One Saturday I had to catch a flight to New Jersey to attend a wedding the day after. My flight was at 2pm which meant I had to be at the airport by 12 noon. Procrastinator that I am sometimes, late Friday night I realized I needed a dress for the wedding.

Candy's store in the mall opened at 10am but she had someone come open up for me at 8:30am to make sure I found the perfect outfit. She was on video call throughout the entire session. I found a gorgeous dress and, well, the wedding was absolutely lovely so I did make the flight after all.

What's my point with this story?

Do I keep going back because Candy treats her customers like "Kings"?, or is it that her "content" is "King"? In this case the content would be the value she gives to her customers.

Let's explore this from the perspective of content marketing / content creation and how this influences customer behavior.

The Role of a Content Marketer

Like me I'm sure you've read tons of literature on this topic. I think the easiest way to define the role is by defining the intended outcome.

So for me a Content Marketer is an individual who uses a variety of platforms including social media, blog/vlog posts, emails and the like, to indirectly influence the buying patterns of consumers.

I say indirectly, because this form of marketing seeks to empower the customer and connect with emotional and/or social touch points that create connections outside of the sale itself. In other words they do not tell you to buy this or that product or service. They leave that power of choice entirely up to you. Or so we make it seem right *wink wink*

Candy didn't engage in content marketing from a digital perspective like what I just outlined, but she definitely found a way to connect and turn me into a loyal customer. She found a way to gain my trust and support which ultimately led to product sales. In my cases, very many product sales.

Are you fulfilling your role as a content creator / content marketer or are you a salesman just focusing on delivering the best sales pitch?

The Value of Great Content

The average consumer conducts online research before making a purchase. Whether it's to compare prices, read reviews or see what's new on the market.

The content you provide should make the consumer feel that she's in the driver's seat. In full control of the decision being made based on the experience you provide.

Subconsciously this great content will also position your Brand in the mind of the consumer. That's what you're looking for.

Here are some other Key Points to Note:

• Quality content plays a huge role in SEO and we all know that higher rankings equate to higher selling opportunities

• Quality Content adds value. It's now being said that people don't purchase products, but rather they purchase knowledge and stories. Good content surrounding the story you build about you, your product or service will lead potential customers to stay on your site longer and create the connection you're looking for.

• Research revealed that 70 percent of people would rather get information from an article or blog post rather than from a traditional advertisement. That's the power of quality content.

• Valuable content helps you build credibility and authority

And the Crown Goes to ?

Drum roll please ......

CONTENT ... CONTENT ... CONTENT

Content will continue to reign supreme over the kingdom of online marketing. What does that mean for us content creators and content marketers?

It means we need to remember that all social media platforms are content based and therefore the value of our content is what separates the "sheep from the goats" as my mother likes to say. In other words the value of your content will determine the success of your brand and the products and services associated with it.

What side of the content fence are you positioned on?

Roberta