Content Marketing and Agency New Business

Agency business development is a tricky endeavor. How are you attracting new clients? How are clients finding you? What does your online presence look like? How can you differentiate yourself from other agencies online?

So many questions, so few answers. Or, rather, there’s one big, smart answer: content marketing.

But what exactly is content marketing? Content marketing is an avenue to engage targeted audiences and to showcase your expertise, in the hopes of attracting prospective clients.

How does it work? What does content marketing do for an agency’s new business leads? By engaging with clients as an expert in your field, you add value in the present and demonstrate the capacity to continue to do so in the future.

Among other things, content marketing helps establish credibility by demonstrating thought leadership, and enhancing online reputation to build trust. These things will help you engage with the public (and potential leads) and increase discoverability. Content marketing can bring you to the forefront of your field.

For content marketing success, here are a few things to consider:

1. Frequency: It’s not just a one-off tactical implementation. It needs to be consistent (read: plan to publish at regular intervals, without inundating readers).
2. Clarity: Understanding your goals and having a clear focus will help guide the strategy behind the content so you can target the right audiences, in the right places, at the right times.
3. Conversation: Know who your audience is (or who you want it to be), and speak with your specific audience as the niche authority you are. Invite questions; give answers. You are speaking with, not to, them.
4. Originality: Develop content around your unique and valuable expertise. Make yourself stand out from the competition.
5. Relatability: Content must have context. Your value may not be readily apparent when it’s complementary, rather than filling a void. The value, while different, is still just as powerful.
6. Shareability: Publish where your audience is, and they can repurpose the content. This includes basic social media platforms, as well as niche-specific sites.
7. Credibility: You are not only who you say you are; you are what you do. In content marketing, you must demonstrate what you do so well.

Your audience is broad, and it’s looking for information; you have the expertise to provide it. By doing so, you’ll find yourself with better sales and fewer pitches. Let what you do speak for itself – just remember to speak up.