Mission-focused companies and social enterprises can gain a lot of traction with content marketing. These are the 4 benefits we think you can count on when you make great content a pillar of your digital marketing strategy.

82% of marketers invest in content marketing and about 29% of them actively incorporate content marketing into their strategies.

In plain English, we are in an age where content is a driving force for recognition, new customers, and more revenue!

And it’s no secret that mission-focused brands are utilizing this approach with great results (ex., growing communities, getting more clients and customers).

If your company stands for a noble cause yet you’re finding it difficult to be seen by your target market, this article is for you (whether you’re engaged in content marketing already or not).

Here are 4 major benefits of content marketing to help you see the immediate and long-term value-add for your company–whether you’re a for-profit, non-profit, or social enterprise.

But first, let’s break down what content marketing even is.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is any use of organic content that lets people know about something–no matter the format (blogs, video, infographics, etc).

Content’s job is to educate and convert (and sometimes entertain, depending on the brand). 

What makes this form of marketing different from paid marketing (advertising) is that it costs much less.. Most of your investment is in time: time to create a strategy, time to align your content with your organization’s goals, and time to write and design the content. Then you are off to the races!

This allows mission-focused brands to have an authentic voice in their market. It democratizes the field. But…more on that later. 

When leveraging content marketing, consider the following:

• Who your target audience is (their age, interests, pain points, motivations/goals, etc)

• What topics you’ll be posting (these topics should be relevant to those audiences)

• What format(s) you’ll use to post in (video, images, text, audio, etc)

• Where you’ll post – where your audiences are (LinkedIn, YouTube, your website, email, Instagram, TikTok, etc).

• How often you’ll post – how much time do you have for this? (ex., 2-4X per week)

(Refer to our blog post on continuous content creation you can use to tap into your deep stores of creativity).

Successful content marketing is a process of refinement. 

“Refinement” means that as you post consistently, you use data feedback to make your content progressively better. 

Feedback can be measured in:

• Video clicks, views, and view duration – Do people open and view your videos?
• Blog conversion rates – How many clicks turn into a booked sale or call 
• Email open rates – Do people open and read your emails?
• Successful posts from competitors – Do you keep an eye on your competitors’ posts and learn from which gets the most engagement?

Why is Content Marketing A Powerful Driver for Mission-Focused Companies?: 4 Benefits 

Here are 4 key benefits content marketing brings to your mission-focus. 

1. Less costly, so more accessible, than other forms of marketing 

First and foremost, content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing, and generates 3x more leads.

This is great news if your company is small, you’re bootstrapping, or you’re a non-profit that doesn’t have a king’s ransom to spend on marketing. 

Since content marketing is less costly, you can focus on longevity and consistency month in and month out. You can spend capital in other business areas like inventory, talented employees/contractions, and software/subscriptions.

As your content engine grows your audience, you can increase your client base and invest in other forms of marketing. 

Companies that scale successfully often get to a point where they run content and invest in advertising, but it’s not immediate. Advertising allows them to predict sales volume (ex., $1 in and $3 out) and content allows them to cultivate an authentic brand.

2. Educating Your Market: Better Awareness and Advocacy 

 Most companies use content as a primary tool for educating their market. 

But why should education be at the forefront of your marketing? Isn’t marketing just about promoting a product or service?

While yes, marketing is about promoting products and services, it isn’t usually effective if that’s all you’re doing…

Think about it:

When you approach your content with the mindset of education and value, it does multiple things:

1. Helps viewers in your market solve their problems and associate the value they received with your brand 

2. Builds trust and credibility for your brand

3. Makes you stand out in the crowded marketplace as a producer of above average content

4. Allows you to potential customers’ objections and unconscious limiting beliefs, which can open the door to future sales

What would it feel like to have people sharing your content and advocating for you? This is the ultimate goal of building a strong brand.

3. Build A Stronger Brand 

Content marketing is a powerful way to build momentum for your cause.

In your blogs, videos, or social posts, talking about your mission and core values is how you connect with the right people and potential customers. 

People like to form emotional connections with their chosen brands. 

There’s no better way to build emotional connections than with shared values. People are looking for purpose and meaning in their work, in every demographic from new graduates to second-career entrepreneurs. Content is one highly effective way to connect with the values of those you wish to serve. 

What are your potential customers’ core values? 

More and more customers today want to feel like their purchasing creates value beyond the product or service they are getting. 

This is what mission-focused companies in the social enterprise space do right. They offer products or services that benefit people and the planet as a whole – beyond just the business, its employees, and its shareholders).

When you share your brand identity – the mission, the values, how you work, and what you stand for,  you may soon have others doing the marketing for you. 

4. Leads the Right Customers to Your Doorstep

Think of your content like an antenna that attracts the right customers your way. Build an ICP- ideal client persona – so that you know who to target with your content. Who is your most valuable client? Synthesize the persona into a single individual. Give them a name. Build a make-believe life around them. And then sell to them. 

First, tell them what they most want to know – about the product and about what they can expect if they buy from or work with you. If they buy your _______, how do they benefit? What problem do you guarantee to solve for them? How will it make their lives easier? Will it save them time, or money – or make them time or money? This is what people care about first: WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?” 

This is the core of your content plan.Next, tell them, “Why you?” Who are you, and why should they do business with you and not the next guy (figuratively speaking)? This, and the quality of the need-to-know information in the category above, is why people buy from you.

As you educate potential customers you can also overcome their objections (as mentioned before.) Share testimonials and case studies: let them know how you’ve helped clients just like them. 

The Bottom Line

Content marketing has been around for many years but its evolution has been taken to a different level in the last couple of years. With the emergence of AI, companies are spreading their mission further and more consistently. 

With the benefits listed, it makes sense that content marketing is growing in popularity. 

That’s why the Allyson Group is here to help mission-focused companies like yours create compelling content. 

Whether it’s blog articles, emails, or social media content, we’re your go-to team.

Want to learn more about what we can do? Schedule a consultation today.