9 Benefits of Product-Led Content Marketing

Content marketing is the gift that keeps on giving. For many businesses, it's one of those marketing tactics that's always on in the background, humming away and generating results. 

But because it's so constant, it's also easy to take for granted.

Since content marketing is often overlooked, it can also be difficult for young and growing businesses to justify investing in it. For startups (especially those in the early stages of growth), a content marketing strategy might seem like a luxury you can't afford. After all, there are a million other priorities demanding your attention, right?

But here's the thing: Ignoring content marketing is a recipe for stunted growth. Below, we’ll highlight some key content marketing benefits that prove its value for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

1. Earn the #1 position for relevant Google search results

Let's face it, Google is king. It's the first place we turn to find anything and everything under the sun, from the best local pizza joint to in-depth articles on complex B2B topics. 

On average, Google processes about 99,000 search queries every second, translating to more than eight billion searches in just one day. Content marketing is like having a permanent SEO magnet attracting your ideal customers straight to your website.

By consistently creating high-quality content that targets relevant keywords, you're telling Google exactly what your business is all about and how you can solve your target audience's problems. This increases your chances of ranking in the number one position for those specific keywords and strengthens your overall site SEO. Think of it as building a strong foundation of content that signals to Google your website is a valuable resource.

The result? Your company homepage and targeted landing pages start climbing the search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant terms. 

And we can confidently tell you that there's a world of difference between ranking first and landing somewhere on the second or third page. More than 25% of searchers only visit the first page of the SERP. Even if searchers don’t navigate to your site, that coveted #1 spot gets you seen by a significantly larger audience, putting you directly in front of potential customers who are actively searching for solutions you can provide.

2. Boost brand awareness

Content marketing isn't just about ranking high in search results (although that's pretty darn important, too). It's also a powerful tool for building brand awareness. By consistently creating valuable content, you put your brand in front of a wider audience — an audience that's genuinely interested in the problems you solve and the expertise you offer.

Think of it like this: The more high-quality content you create, the more touchpoints you have with potential customers. Every blog post, infographic, or video you publish is an opportunity to showcase your brand's knowledge and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This consistent presence keeps your brand top-of-mind, ensuring that when a prospect is finally ready to buy, your company is the first one that comes to mind. 

But brand awareness goes beyond just recognition. People are more likely to do business with a company they perceive as knowledgeable and reliable. Content marketing allows you to build that familiarity, increasing the chance that consumers will choose your brand over a lesser-known competitor.

3. Establish your brand as an industry leader

When people have questions about your industry, where do they turn? 

Ideally, you. 

Content marketing gives you a platform to showcase your expertise and become a trusted source of information for your target audience. It’s about creating informative content and positioning your brand as a leading authority in your industry. 

By consistently publishing high-quality content that covers relevant industry topics and shares unique insights, you demonstrate your expertise, prove you have more than generic information to share, and establish yourself as a go-to resource.

Take Sprout Social's blog as an example. Sprout Social is a social media management software company, and its blog is packed with valuable resources and actionable advice for social media marketers. Their blogs cover everything from the latest social media trends to best practices for building a strong social media presence. This commitment to content marketing has helped Sprout Social establish itself as a leading voice in the social media marketing industry.

By consistently creating informative and insightful content, you can achieve the same level of industry recognition for your brand. People will start to see you as a thought leader — someone at the forefront of your industry that they can rely on for valuable insights and expertise. This reputation for authority goes a long way in building trust and credibility with potential customers.

4. Support audience-building initiatives

Imagine you just meticulously crafted a brilliant piece of content, jam-packed with valuable insights and industry expertise. But if nobody sees it, what good is it? That's where a strong content marketing strategy comes in. It acts like a magnet, attracting and engaging your target audience with a steady stream of high-quality content.

The key to building a loyal audience lies in consistency. By regularly publishing fresh, relevant content, you give your audience a reason to keep coming back for more. This consistent content creation establishes you as a reliable source of information, and over time, people will start to view you as a trusted advisor in your industry.

But the benefits of an engaged audience go far beyond simply having a bunch of followers. A truly engaged audience is an active audience. They'll share your content with their networks, participate in discussions, and become brand advocates. This organic reach extension helps you spread brand awareness further and expand your audience organically — all thanks to the power of a loyal following. 💪

In short, a strong content marketing strategy fuels your audience-building initiatives. It gives you the content you need to attract and engage potential customers, fostering brand loyalty and advocacy that drives long-term growth.

5. Meet consumers at every stage of the customer journey

Consider what your ideal customer's journey looks like in terms of the marketing funnel. At the top, they're just becoming aware of the problem they need to solve. In the middle, they're actively researching potential solutions. And finally, at the bottom, they're ready to make a purchase decision.

The beauty of content marketing is that it allows you to reach customers at every stage of this funnel. By developing a strong content strategy, you can create targeted content that resonates with their specific needs and interests at each touchpoint.

• Awareness stage: At the top of the funnel, potential customers are still figuring out what problem they have and what solutions might exist. This is where informative blog posts, industry reports, and educational infographics can be incredibly valuable. Creating content that addresses their initial questions and pain points establishes you as a helpful resource and builds brand awareness early on.
• Consideration stage: Once prospects are aware of their problem and potential solutions, they'll start researching different options. This is where in-depth content like case studies, white papers, and webinars can shine. They showcase your expertise and the value you deliver to customers like them, positioning you as a frontrunner in their consideration set.
• Decision stage: Finally, when customers are ready to make a purchase decision, they'll be looking for that final nudge to choose you. Product comparisons, customer testimonials, and free trials can be instrumental at this stage. This targeted content helps convince them that your product or service is the best fit for their needs, ultimately driving conversions.

With this multi-stage approach, you ensure your brand stays top-of-mind throughout the entire customer journey. You're there to educate them at the beginning, nurture their interest in the middle, and provide that final push toward conversion at the end.

6. Fuel your social media strategy

Social media and content marketing are a match made in marketing heaven. They work together beautifully to amplify your reach and engagement. Here's how content marketing fuels your social media strategy:

Inspire fresh social media content

Content marketing is a treasure trove of ideas for your social media posts. By repurposing your long-form content into bite-sized social media pieces, you can squeeze even more value out of your efforts.

Transform long-form content into social media gems

Get creative! Here are some ways social media marketers can transform long-form content into social media gold:

• Blog posts to eye-catching infographics: Transparently, long-form blog posts are fantastic resources. But these days, most people don't have the time to sit down and read lengthy articles on social media. 

Turn those blog posts into visually engaging infographics for platforms like Instagram. Highlight key statistics, data points, or quotes and transform them into easily digestible snippets that will grab attention and encourage clicks to your full blog post.

• White papers to LinkedIn powerhouse posts: LinkedIn is a professional platform that thrives on insightful authority content. Pull snippets from your white papers to craft thought-provoking LinkedIn posts. 

Briefly introduce a problem, then tease a solution you explore in detail within the white paper (with a link, of course!). This approach sparks user interest and positions you as an industry thought leader.

• Webinars to threads: X (formerly Twitter) is all about conversation. Take the key takeaways from your webinars and weave them into a Twitter thread. This bite-sized content format is perfect for capturing attention and sparking discussion. Pose questions at the end of your thread to encourage engagement and position yourself as an expert attendees can learn from.

By repurposing your content across different social media platforms, you extend its reach and keep your audience engaged with fresh, informative content. Remember, social media is all about sparking conversations and connections. Use these content snippets to pique your audience's interest and lead them back to your website for the complete picture.

7. Generate highly-qualified marketing leads

Content marketing is a great support for lead generation because:

• Content informs and educates your audience about your area of expertise and service offering. Content like blog posts, white papers, and webinars establish you as a thought leader and a trusted resource. Educating potential customers about the problems you solve and the value you deliver positions you as the go-to solution when they're ready to buy.
• Leads generated from content marketing are typically more qualified. People who find you through informative content are already interested in what you have to offer. They took the time to learn about your solutions, indicating a higher level of purchase intent compared to leads generated through cold calling or generic advertising.

When someone stumbles upon a generic ad, they might click out of curiosity, but they're not necessarily in active buying mode. On the other hand, someone who downloads your white paper on a specific industry challenge is clearly invested in finding a solution. They're already pre-qualified and much further along in the buyer journey.

Content marketing allows you to nurture leads by building trust and establishing yourself as a credible source of information. By the time they convert into a lead, they're already familiar with your brand and confident in your ability to solve their problems. This makes them much more likely to convert into paying customers down the line.

8. Build loyalty and trust with your audience

Content marketing isn't just about attracting new customers; it's also about building strong relationships with the ones you already have. This is great for your brand’s image, but also translates to revenue — 71% of consumers buy from businesses they trust. Even more impressive, 46% are willing to spend more with a brand they trust. 

Here's how valuable content fosters loyalty and trust:

• Positions you as a reliable source of information: Consistently creating high-quality, informative content establishes you as a helping hand for others in your industry. People come to rely on you for valuable insights and expertise, which builds trust and positions you as a go-to resource.
• Demonstrates your commitment to customer success: When you create content that focuses on educating and helping your audience, you’re essentially saying, “We care about your success, not just a quick sale.” This commitment to customer well-being fosters loyalty and strengthens brand relationships.
• Creates community around your brand: Informative and engaging content sparks conversations and can help you build a community around your brand. When people connect with your content and interact with each other, it fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens brand loyalty. Loyal customers become brand advocates, spreading the word about your business and organically amplifying your reach.

Why audience loyalty matters

Think of your ideal customer. Now imagine they have a question or problem related to your industry. Ideally, you want them to think of your brand first. That’s the power of loyalty. Loyal customers are more likely to:

• Make repeat purchases.
• Recommend your brand to others.
• Forgive occasional mistakes.
• Be more receptive to your marketing messages.

In today’s competitive marketplace, customer loyalty is a goldmine. By investing in content marketing and building strong relationships with your audience, you’re laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable business growth.

9. Boost customer satisfaction and retention

Along with helping you attract new customers, content marketing can also be a powerful tool for retaining existing ones. A well-developed content strategy boosts customer satisfaction and retention by:

Empowering customers with self-service support

Honesty time: Not everyone enjoys interacting with customer support. But if you can create a robust library of content that explains your products and services, you empower customers to find solutions on their own terms.

Imagine a customer encountering a hurdle with your software platform. Instead of waiting on hold for support, they can access your comprehensive FAQ content, step-by-step video tutorials, or even an interactive guide that provides clear explanations of features and functionalities. 

This kind of content empowers customers to troubleshoot issues independently, fostering a sense of self-reliance and satisfaction that reflects well on your brand.

Continuing education and value beyond the sale

High-quality content goes beyond basic troubleshooting. It can also serve as a form of continuing education for your customers. 

Think of blog posts that detail advanced uses of your product, webinars that explore industry trends, or even downloadable templates that help customers maximize the value they get from your service.

Providing this ongoing educational content demonstrates a commitment to your customers’ success that extends far beyond the initial sale. This extra layer of value keeps your customers engaged and reinforces the perception that your brand is truly invested in their long-term success. This can boost customer satisfaction, reduce churn, and strengthen customer retention rates.

Leverage Ten Speed to help you maximize the benefits of content marketing

Imagine taking all the incredible benefits of content marketing we just discussed and amplifying them even further. That’s exactly what you’ll experience if you take a product-led approach to your content marketing strategy.

This approach puts your product at the center of your content universe. Instead of generic blog posts or explainer videos, product-led content focuses on showcasing the value and capabilities of your product through engaging content. 

If you’re new to creating product-led content, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Ten Speed’s team of experienced content marketers can help you build a product-led content strategy that fosters trust with your audience, builds confidence in your brand, and ultimately, drives conversions.

Ready to turn website visitors into raving fans with content marketing? Book a call with Ten Speed to unlock your content's full potential.