Does Cornerstone Content Really Work

Cornerstone Content is a key component to today’s content marketing strategies, as businesses use their websites and blogs to demonstrate their own expertise. Publishing powerful cornerstone content helps your business sell its services and builds your status as an expert.

"Content marketing is the only marketing left." Seth Godin.

Business owners and marketers today know that, in terms of marketing, the world has changed dramatically. Many activities for getting a client’s attention just don’t work like they once did:

• Advertising rarely gets enough response to justify the costs
• Telemarketing efforts often get stopped before they even get a hello
• Websites that you invested time and effort in creating just doesn’t generate the leads you need
• Your trusted network isn’t delivering the same opportunities to keep you going anymore.

You are an expert in what you do and know and there are clients out there who would really value your assistance.

Buying behaviors are always changing in our web-driven world

For the past ten years, the web has transformed buying behaviors. In the past, if a potential client wanted information on your services they would call your office and engage you or one of your sales team to better understand your services or offerings.

Today, the first place a client looks is usually the internet. They’ll search Google, check out websites where they expect to sign up with their email for article updates or follow your social media feeds to find out more about your company.

As you can see potential customers are looking to see who they can trust to solve their problems.

And by now you know that your clients are in control and you’d better make sure that the information you publish about your company answers their questions.  You must position yourself as “the trusted resource” they seek.

On the internet, effective marketing is all about creating cornerstone content and sharing this content across the web.

By cornerstone content we don’t just mean information that is well-written or artfully created... we mean information that is first and foremost of real value to your client’s.  You must:

• Educate your clients
• Show them best practice
• Tell them what to look out for
• Give them valuable tips on how to achieve success
• Demonstrate how you’ve helped others in their shoes
• Answer their problems and open their eyes.

When you create and distribute this kind of relevant and compelling information, you will help turn browsers into buyers and buyers into long-term customers.

1. Engage your Community with Cornerstone content…

   Create the type of information your buyers actually want to consume. Marketing with quality cornerstone content is a win-win for your company and customers — your potential clients get the information they require and you get to demonstrate your expertise and usefulness to them.
   
   Cornerstone content will help you sell. It helps your ideal clients find you and makes it easier for them to buy from you. It’s an opportunity to position your company as the “go to” place to turn to when the time comes to buy.
   
   

2. Take a different approach to client communication…

   If you want to reap the rewards that cornerstone content brings you need to start communicating differently. Understand that there are different rules of engagement.
   
   Using the cornerstone content approach is not about telling how amazing your service or product is as we all did in the past. You should be not “look how great we are” (like in a brochure) but “look how useful we are – we can answer your problems.”
   
   This method is truly customer-centered. Creating content that is genuinely useful to your customers, makes your services or products indispensable.
   
   

3. What is easy is not always the best…

   Creating and consistently delivering this type of information takes a good amount of effort. You will need to build a deep understanding of the needs of your target customer base and where and how you can add value.
   
   Cornerstone content may not be easy but it is an essential tool if you are going to continue to grow a successful business in today’s web-driven world.

At Umbrella Consultants we help businesses, brands and marketers grow their online presence daily. Don’t be shy contact us and speak to one of our experienced marketers or see how our development team will help create the right face for your business online. Our specialty is putting your business in a manageable box so you can get back to your day to day operations.

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