Millions of consumers turn to the internet daily to get information. Your customers are looking for answers to their questions and want them fast. In addition, users automatically turn to the internet for information in a world that revolves around digital platforms. The focus of your customers on the internet as a primary source is born out by the latest State of Customer Training Report, which claims that 96% of companies strongly believe that educating their customers is vital to their success.
One of your content marketing goals should be to deliver this information to your customers before your competitors do, yet many businesses struggle to combine providing their customers’ desired information with content marketing. Communicating clearly and concisely on a digital platform can be especially hard. However, effective educational content marketing meets a variety of customer needs, and can not only bring you new prospects, but can also lower the cost of supporting your existing customers!
At Invite Them Home, we have seen first-hand how our clients have reaped the benefits of educational content marketing. It’s not just us: recent research by Intellum-Forrester has shown that 90% of the companies surveyed have had positive returns on their investment with customer education. The study showed that through educational content marketing, they saw increased revenue and customer retention and a meaningful decrease in support costs. Read on if these benefits sound like things you want to see for your business.
Table of Content
- What does it mean to educate prospects?
- What is the goal of educational content marketing?
- Why should I use educational content marketing to motivate my customers?
- How do you create content for an educational blog post?
- How Invite Them Home will help your company reap the benefits of educational content marketing
What does it mean to educate prospects?
Educating customers is the key to unlocking your customers’ full potential. By giving them insider knowledge of what you offer, they can start experiencing your company’s value more quickly. This knowledge drives user growth and engagement. The in-depth information about your product or service will influence their purchasing decisions down the line. Quality informational content will bring your target clientele to you before they get information from other sources and lets them explore precisely why your brand stands out from competitors.
The key to successful marketing is educating an audience through valuable, interesting content. From blog posts to demo videos, educational content allows businesses to target existing customers and attract new customers by providing helpful information. With interesting and unique ideas, brands can establish trust with their customers and prospects – allowing for a more meaningful relationship beyond just making a sale!
What is the goal of educational content marketing?
Content marketers use educational content to help potential customers master the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of using your services or products so that they can make well-informed decisions. Educational content marketing goals revolve around this idea: establishing thought leadership, collecting leads for contact information purposes, upselling existing clients, and converting visitors into leads. With informative material about what you have to offer – such as web pages, videos, or tutorials – you can help reach these goals and develop long-term relationships with new buyers. Providing the information your existing customers need 24/7 also increases their satisfaction.
Why should I use educational content marketing to motivate my customers?
Now that you understand the primary purpose of educational content marketing let’s look at some good reasons you want to utilize it to motivate your target audience.
#1 It is a quick way to get new customers interested in your brand
A recent Conductor study showed consumers are “131% more likely to buy from a brand immediately after they consume early-stage, educational content.”
Content marketing can be an effective way to introduce your brand and product offerings to new buyers. Creating content that informs readers can pique potential customers’ interests and build knowledge about your service or product, leading to greater brand recognition. Through this process, you will cultivate consumer confidence in what makes you unique as a business.
Quality informative content will drive more traffic to your website. With increased traffic, your users will interact more with your site, which can increase your conversion rate. The more you utilize valuable information to educate your audience, the more you improve the chance of building leads online. Since educational content will focus on your target audience’s questions and concerns, educational blog posts can bring in new visits and leads to your website. An educational blog can be a core cornerstone in a successful marketing strategy for your company.
#2 It engages your existing customers on a deeper level to build customer loyalty
Through educational content marketing, you can foster customer loyalty and repeat purchases. It is important to provide helpful information that meets your customers’ needs at every stage in their buying cycle – from initial research through post-purchase support. This will ensure they come back to you again and trust your brand for future transactions. By providing engaging material tailored specifically to them, B2B and B2C marketers can convert one-time buyers into loyal fans!
When it comes to establishing a relationship between your brand and customers, trust is key. Building on that foundation of trust helps you create an emotional connection with consumers that leads to loyalty. However, having one good interaction doesn’t automatically guarantee ongoing commitment – brands must continually prove their worth. This means you should aim to create content such as educational pieces or problem-solving resources that can help add value into the lives of potential buyers. In addition, savvy buyers have become increasingly more discerning when selecting from available products and services, so you need them to form positive associations with your product.
#3 It sets you above the competition
You will find it is essential to be knowledgeable and regularly educate customers on new technologies to stay ahead of your competition in today’s digital age. Recent statistics show that when given a choice of 4 brands, 83.6% of consumers chose to purchase from the brand that provided them with educational content. Establish yourself as a thought leader with content that stands out for its credibility and consistency. You must create informational content with unique value pertinent to your industry before your competition.
At Invite Them Home, we use an array of professional tools to analyze your market. We use your competitors’ content as a resource by analyzing their publish content, discovering which topics are being discussed, and how well they resonate among readers. This helps us determine which keywords to focus on and develop an effective educational content marketing strategy. We help you become recognized through educational yet captivating content tailored specifically toward your customer needs!
#4 It helps your customers get the most from your product or service
Customer education teaches customers how to use and find value in your product or service. It can happen before a sale by introducing and educating your target audience about what you do. It can also inform current clients about how your product can be used, maximized, and maintained and when and how to repurchase a product or schedule follow-up service. Customer education helps consumers make the most of products and services during their journey with your company. Whether B2B or B2C interactions, businesses must continuously strive to improve their customers’ journey with them.
By interacting with customers and incorporating their feedback, we will help you write engaging content while also providing solutions to customer challenges. Education-based marketing allows businesses to improve their brand presence beyond what their competitors can offer and break down complicated concepts in an understandable way for any audience level. In addition, consumers will appreciate the effort put into giving them reliable industry information on topics of interest through your various content formats – building trust and fostering loyalty along the way!
#5 It builds your brand’s industry credibility
Sherry Bonelli from the Content Marketing Institute says, “With Google’s MUM algorithm and the helpful content update, we’re all going to need to write informative content that answers all the questions people want to know about a particular subject.”
Navigating the depths of cyberspace in search of information can be a dizzying experience for online users, making it difficult to determine which vendors best suit their needs. That’s why providing educational content is key – visitors will learn more about what they’re looking for and begin to recognize your business as an authority and expert on the topic at hand. By giving them relevant insights that help inform decisions, you become someone whose advice they trust when recommending products or services tailored specifically to their needs.
#6 It motivates your customers to engage with your brand
Quality content will turn good customers into valuable long-term clients. Educational content marketing is key to creating the perfect consumer. Educating your target market can help them understand and trust your way of thinking – motivating them to return for more information.
Although this educational approach may attract a smaller audience, you can focus on a more targeted demographic, making your efforts more effective. Educational content must address customers’ needs at each stage of the sales funnel to ensure they stay engaged and come back even after making a purchase.
How do you create content for an educational blog post?
Now that you’ve seen the benefits of educational content marketing, you may wonder what goes into the process. It all starts by understanding who you are speaking to and then determining which medium will get them engaged, whether it be younger customers best reached through how-to videos or decision-makers educated via long-form content articles.
Your content needs to be relevant in order for customers to stay engaged. To ensure this, it should offer a solution, provide value, make your audience smile, and stand out from the crowd! Additionally, an eye-catching headline is essential to getting people interested. Think about creating listicles or step-by step tutorials that can create curiosity among your readers. But most importantly of all – captivate them with outstanding content that will leave them wanting more!
Types of educational content marketing
Educational content marketing can come in many forms. Some typical examples are:
- Blogs: a company blog is a great way to post fresh content that keeps your audience engaged, especially with long-form content.
- Social Media: writing content for your accounts on social media can be a great way to educate potential leads.
- How-to Articles: consumers love easy-to-read how-to’s, especially step-by-step guides and bullet points.
- News and Industry Trend Articles: writing about recent happenings in your industry makes sure your website stays relevant.
- Video Demos: utilize videos posted to your site and social media to demonstrate your products or services to help prospects better understand what you do.
Educational content for Business-to-business marketing
B2B sales occur in defined niches. That’s why educational content marketing is a must. Recent studies show that 87% of businesses say their B2B sales team puts their clients’ informational needs above their organization’s sales and promotional messages. Studies also show that 71% of B2B purchasing decisions are influenced by reading a company blog at some point during their relationship. If this is your goal, Invite Them Home has ample experience writing educational content for B2B marketing.
How Invite Them Home will help your company reap the benefits of educational content marketing
Educational content marketing is necessary for your business to succeed in its marketing goals. While you’re an expert in your industry, writing great content to inform readers about your business may not be in your realm of expertise. Not to worry! We are here for you. Once we understand your ideal consumer, we will explore the plethora of educational content types such as blog posts, case studies, newsletters and more for maximum impact on every marketing initiative! Our lead copywriter has a Master’s degree in Education. She has the experience and skills to help you tell your story and educate your customers and prospective customers.
Contact us today to see how Invite Them Home can use educational content marketing to bring your audience home to you!
