As time goes on, the sentiment of the written word being “dead” seems to be gaining momentum. And can you blame them? Since the advent of platforms like Vine (now defunct), it appears as though the collective attention span has been diminishing at an alarming rate. But the written word is far from dead – yes, you heard me. There’s even a good amount of data to support it. Because a marketing strategy that does not factor in content is a marketing strategy bound to fail.
Nail the “first date”, see them at the altar
Written content is often the first point of contact for many. Numerous opportunities present itself to set the tone of the ensuing conversation, as it were, in terms of brand awareness and education. The audience will ask themselves a few key questions –
- Who are they?
- What do they do?
- What value can they provide?
- And does their messaging resonate with me?
To squander this crucial moment, to undervalue those first three-hundred words (as well as the recurring three-hundred words that follow) would not only be ignorant – it would be wilfully destructive. Earning trust, proving relevancy, and striking the right emotional cadences at the initial (and continuing) stages are the very seeds of quality lead generation.
The only way is SEO
Fear not, this is not going to be one of those write-ups that quickly becomes “How to influence people and win friends… with SEO”. Although it will emphasise the growing importance of SEO. In fact, any marketing strategy that does not kiss the ring of Google’s algorithm as we speak is essentially eating at the kid’s table.
SEO is how sites become more visible than others, which is important when you consider the fact that 95% of people only look at first page results (source: Brafton). According to data collated by Tech Client, businesses that produce written blog content on a consistent basis average 434% more search engine indexed pages in comparison to businesses who are static in that regard.
Good SEO is direct attention. A viral article today quickly becomes the leads (and potential revenue) of tomorrow – siphoned away from those lower in the SEO food chain. In a saturated ecosystem where many struggle to define themselves, who in their right mind would so easily surrender an advantage like that? Better yet, who would surrender an advantage that can largely be achieved for free?
These aren’t rookie numbers: the true value of content
Words may dazzle, deceive, and distract. But numbers are relatively clear cut:
- 20% of all online traffic is spent on content
- 68% of consumers spend time reading about brands of interest
- 57% of consumers read content marketing tiles once a month (minimum)
- 80% of consumers enjoy learning about a company through content
- 58% of marketers cite original written content as their most valued commodity
- 60% of marketers produce at least one new content asset every single day
- Long form content produces 800% more leads than short form
And to really drive this all home, conversion rates for brands correctly using content marketing are 480% more than those who do not (source: Aberdeen Group).
There is a reason why platforms like Vine are now a thing of the past. Quality, sincere, and engaging content will always reign supreme over the flashy, flavour-of-the-month formats. It’s the difference between a full-course meal and canapes. Now let me ask you this…
Do you still think the written word is dead?
