Building a Content Culture
By
Mark Cameron
While many media outlets are still debating the various “pay for use models,” such as premium content paywalls, much of the rest of the business world has come to the conclusion that the real value is the audience, not the content itself. As a result, businesses are now more focused on generating and distributing high quality and highly focused content like never before. The content is designed to inform the target audience, build trust and nurture leads.
The term that is being used for this trend is “content marketing,” and it requires more than simply hiring people who can write—you need to develop a content focused culture. In an organization, culture influences behaviors throughout the company. So what can you hope to gain by developing a content marketing-focused culture?
All Eyes on the Customer
Companies need customers. The better you communicate with and service your customer base, the more likely they will remain loyal, and loyalty is the secret to a lower cost per acquisition. Happy customers will also recommend your brand to others. The problem is, achieving this level of customer satisfaction is not an easy thing to do.
A company culture that focuses on generating content that is valuable to your customers will become obsessed with what that value looks like. This will create a streamlined experience for the customer and raise the baseline of customer service for the whole company.
Think Digital First
In todays ultra-connected environment, digital communication and social media collaboration is transforming every aspect of business. The smart businesses are embracing this fact and are investing in the infrastructure required to make the most of this change. But the technology is only a very small part of what is needed to achieve success company-wide. What is needed is a company that thinks and acts digitally.
A well-developed content strategy can ensure that your company thinks digital first. And this means you are on the path towards speedier response times, lower costs of communications and a more collaborative work environment.
Everyone is Responsible for the Brand
Branding is all about consistency. A brand that projects an image in its advertising and then fails to follow through in the way it deals with customers has an issue with its brand that urgently needs attention. But how can you get everyone in an organization focused on the brand message?
Making every department accountable for finding and telling great brand stories, even if only indirectly, helps make ownership of the brand become a company-wide responsibility. The customer doesn’t care about who is responsible for marketing or customer service, they simply want what the brand is promising. Content can be the lens with which your company views the relationship between the customer and your brand.
While the term “content marketing” may be the latest marketing buzz term, the effect of what a well-designed strategy can do for an organization should not be underestimated. Take advantage and use it as a catalyst to focus on your customers and transform your company.
