Why Content is King in 2012!
Sumner Redstone (even though others will put up a fight about this and say it was Bill Gates) is the man who issued the words: Content is King! Redstone is widely considered to be THE media magnate – someone who was and is absolutely sure that content is the one and only thing that will increase business, make a brand popular with the people, build sales and etch your company’s name into the minds of millions of people out there.
More and more businesses – from small, upstart companies to corporations that are among the ‘best of the best’ in their specific industry – have altered their marketing plans over the past decade with each new development in the world of technology. From the creation of the internet to the establishment of cell phones and their increased capabilities, to the popular sites of Google, Facebook and Twitter, companies have learned that content is the one thing they must master in order to build their client list.
But the one problem that is still being dealt with is: What constitutes valuable content? As an individual and small business owner I speak from both sides of the fence. As an individual, I am like the other 96% of people out there in America who are described as ‘news junkies.’ This term is not used lightly – as if this large group simply goes on the internet to read about the latest celebrity break-up; we are actually researchers. Before buying a product we want to know all there is to know about that particular product. We research the latest news of people we admire and/or ‘follow’ (i.e., politicians, publishers, artists, etc.); we study all the new devices, articles, products, etc. they use and promote, and then head straight to that business’s website. In other words, we follow the ‘buzz.’
However, we have absolutely no interest in the world of ‘spam.’ In fact, I believe everyone can relate to the fact that the amount of ‘spam’ that comes into our daily emails and clogs up our lives with stale information about products and services available out there in the world, simply drives us crazy and does NOT send us running to that business’s website to learn more.
For this article, I am going to use weight loss programs. Why? Because this just happens to be an industry that has grown by leaps and bounds and is absolutely clogged with every single gadget and/or program that we all can utilize to lose two pounds a week or whatever else they’re promising.
The ‘buzz’ begins on the internet. The ‘newest, latest, most ingenious’ product comes along and people begin talking. Perhaps it’s the lowest cost product and they really want to investigate more – seeing as that they do not wish to spend hundreds of dollars a month for stale food in a box in order to lose weight. We will use ‘Thin’ as a fictional company name in order to make it easier for readers to understand the need for necessary content.
The website for ‘Thin’ is extraordinary – it is visually appealing, easy to search but, most of all, it is updated on a daily basis. Articles, reviews, the latest information from doctors, pharmacists…the latest breakthroughs at gyms and exercise facilities, the newest exercises to go along with the ‘Thin’ product to give you the best results – absolutely all information is given on this website making ‘Thin’ easier to understand and RELY upon than the other millions of ‘diet’ websites that look exactly the same every day and constantly send ‘spam’ into your email.
What’s the result? You begin to trust ‘Thin’ and you begin to buy it! The brand is built, the sales increase, and customers are happy with it. Again, they trust the product because the website is constantly being updated with the latest news and information that’s important to the industry and to the consumer. They are not simply putting up quotes or trying to convince you that you can lose sixty pounds in a week and keep it off. The articles, news and information they provide is the CORRECT content necessary to bring in the customers.
Content needs to be constantly updated and it MUST go with the trends that are out there at any given moment in time. Going with the trends usually means ‘hitting’ upon ‘popular’ news. What I mean by this is, most people like to hear the news of celebrity weddings, scandals, divorces, etc. If you do not believe this statement, look into how many copies of tabloids and entertainment magazines are sold every week. Now add on the incredible number of readers that search the World Wide Web and read up on celebrity blogs and entertainment news.
For this article, we will take weddings to better describe the ‘trendsetters.’ Here is the scenario: You are a new wedding dress designer who needs to build your business. The goal in your mind is to one day be as easily recognizable a brand as, say, Vera Wang. Hence, the content on your website must draw in the readers. It must be the most up-to-date news about the wedding industry. Example: Kate marries the Prince. Kate’s dress, her decisions on that dress, the designer she picked, information on the latest wedding fashions worn by the guests…THIS is information that readers want to know; and if it’s on YOUR site, they not only come back to read up on the latest trends in the wedding dress industry, but they remember YOUR name when they want to purchase their own wedding gown for their own big day. This is your ‘niche’ and you need to be on all the search engines, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to bring clients to you. Clients, consumers, readers – all of us ‘news junkies’ – are the ones that will make YOUR name a hit in the wedding dress/fashion industry.
Boredom, however, is the one thing that will drive us all away. What I mean by this is the fact that if your website remains the same over time – with no new add-ons, no updated news about the industry, the latest weddings, a look at the biggest and best fashion trends – then readers simply head to another website and find it there. This takes away from building your brand and increasing your sales – no matter how unique or beautiful your designs are.
“Content is King” is truly an easy concept to understand. If you are the most updated, research-based site in your industry, consumers and clients will flock to your website and disregard your competition. Presenting the latest news is the core reason why your company will have the most increase in sales. And it’s always evolving – which means your site has to constantly evolve as well.
We are living in the world of technology. The internet is quickly becoming the biggest source of news and information in the world. For new businesses, as well as the ‘old familiar’ names, each and every company needs to be up on the latest trends in order to offer the ‘news junkies’ all the facts they need in order to make the best decision when it comes to the products and/or services they wish to buy. And to do this, all companies must update their content on a daily basis!
To Gain the “Slight Edge to Get Noticed” Be First Inc can take you there.