Customers go online to seek solutions for their external and internal problems. Their needs can be defined by a variety of criteria. Companies with a proactive content strategy built on authentic storytelling have a sustainable competitive advantage. That’s especially important today as we all find ourselves increasingly marketing products and services “through the glass.”
Why is publishing content a competitive advantage? Content is your unique voice in today’s digital dialog with customers. Your voice is something no competitor can take away from you. Businesses today have to take advantage of the many tools available to them to pivot and thrive in these disrupted times. We have so many opportunities before us. That was my takeaway from my appearance on Carnivore Radio hosted by Jeff Sherman and Eric Lopkin this Friday (Thanks guys, great show!).
Aligning content strategy with your customer’s worldview
The world’s increasingly complex and disruptive nature places a premium on trusted companies. In his book All Marketers are Liars, Seth Godin describes customers’ “worldview.” This is the way we act and believe based on our cumulative experience.
Forget all the facts and figures and features and benefits. These big ideas can influence customers to overlook traditional buying criteria. They may underweight price for perceived elements of quality, convenience, stature, or safety, for example.
Godin says by reinforcing their worldview customers can align with your brand. His theory is that customers prefer doing business with brands that make them feel good. That’s because the narrative customers tell themselves about who a company is and what they stand for is what drives their customer behavior. And that is POWERFUL.
Perception is reality and it is our job to manage it.
Brands that help us feel in control in the face of the information overload we all face are highly valued. They are well-positioned to build strong relationships with their customers. This also builds authority and trust in the eyes of Google for search engine optimization.
Successful companies build a strategic narrative in their target markets that embrace and reinforce their customer’s worldview. They take proactive measures to promote ideas, experiences, and programming that influence – and are influenced by – their customers’ worldview.
Master storytelling and master your destiny
Mastering storytelling in your online presence is a critical skill. It’s a very effective way to align your messaging with customers’ worldview. This opens them up to your value proposition with minimal cognitive resistance. Brands can make themselves more relevant by publishing stories and creating experiences that offer an emotional connection to their customers’ point-of-view.
Today, that includes many kinds of content. It is best to use many types: written blogs, videos, webinars, and podcasts. But also think of providing links to live customer sales and service with your frontline employees as people visit your virtual business.
Content strategy empowers you to go to market with confidence
Our stories define us only if we publish and promote our content. Whether you call your storytelling efforts SEO, Content Marketing, or custom publishing, a good content strategy will help you grow relative to your competition. A content calendar supported by strong storytelling will arm you to make virtual connections and build relationships. Such an approach is increasingly important in a world so dependent on digital commerce, but you have to be proactive to make things happen.
Are you trying to put a compelling content marketing program together to help you achieve your goals? Publio’s expertise and experience can help you define a sustainable SEO-grounded content marketing strategy. We’ll develop a targeted program that attracts customers who share your worldview. In-depth SEO, market, and customer research that provide insights, combined with our seven buckets “Publisher’s M.O.” strategy methodology provide you a roadmap to achieve goals like those discussed above. Our services can be provided on a turnkey or consulting basis to in-house marketing, entrepreneurs teams, and content agencies.