HubSpot generates 80% of their leads from content marketing, with 2/3 of those leads more likely to purchase than other leads. They have found that 70% of those leads are coming in through articles written in previous months rather than their most recently published posts, meaning good content continues to work for them for months to come.
This just proves again what we’ve been seeing over the past several years: content marketing works, but there is a specific formula for producing the content that generates real return on investment (ROI).
In It for the Haul: Long Term ROI
HubSpot’s Mike Volpe recommends a consistent approach to content marketing for at least 6 months before trying to measure ROI. Companies might expect to see results after a month or two of producing content, but the reality is that the numbers just don’t work that way. Like anything else in business, building leads takes time and leadership. Leadership doesn’t just spring up overnight—leadership is developed through proven reliability and cultivated trust.
Earning Trust: Accuracy and Consistency
If proving reliability garners trust, then content must be correct and able to be counted on. Producing less-than-par content is worse than producing no content. Producing no content means you are virtually invisible. So, producing content poor in quality is worse than being invisible to your customer base. Incorrect content shows a lack of professional concern and unoriginal pieces go a long ways in proving you aren’t an industry leader.
On the other hand, producing valuable insights for your target audience will develop a relationship that is built on genuine interest and trust. Potential customers will come to you, looking for the solutions you provide. This trust is hard-earned and should be affirmed in consistent intervals; long periods of time between new posts will have a disastrous affect, regardless of the high quality you produce.
Generating Original Value: What Website Content Providers Offer
So where do you get the constant flow of ideas? How do you find the time to keep up with this online world in addition to the day-to-day demands of the real world job? If you are thinking it’s a time-consuming job, then you are right. Businesses devote whole positions and departments to this work. For small businesses looking to make a positive dent in their corner, hiring a freelance writer will save both time and money.
Website content providers offer a valuable service: content writers who are not part of your full-time staff, but paid on a job-by-job basis. They don’t need healthcare coverage or PTO, they just need your ideas and your approval. You choose the topics and request specific article ideas or you provide the title and they can supply the article. It’s still your content and you publish it with your company name on it. Whether you need website page wording, social media posts or blog content, ghostwriters can help you stay on top of the ever-increasing demand for proving industry value.
Alethea M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
