Exceptional customer service is critical to running a successful company — and it should be. Genuine relationships and strategic problem solving bring big benefits, including increased brand loyalty, greater word of mouth, repeat purchases and ultimately more revenue.
You may think you’ve already taken every measure to ensure customers are satisfied in getting the information they need, from service teams and live-chat software to follow-up surveys and emails. But what if the bulk of your customers’ questions could be answered without them investing their time and energy into these hands-on tactics?
That’s where content marketing comes in. If you keep a slew of blogs, videos and other informative collateral on hand, you can help people quickly and easily find answers.
Here are five reasons why content marketing helps elevate the quality of your customer service.
Content Marketing Encourages Brand Loyalty
When you provide valuable information without asking for anything in return, customers will notice (and appreciate) your efforts. Content marketing shows you genuinely care about their questions and concerns, which positions you as a compassionate, authentic organization.
From answering common customer questions to showcasing your company’s expertise, people like to see you’ve put in the time to proactively solve their problems. These numbers from Demand Metric speak for themselves:
- 90% of consumers find content marketing useful
- 82% feel more positive about a company after reading its custom content
- 78% perceive a relationship between themselves and a company after reading its content
- 60% enjoy regularly reading relevant content from brands
That’s right — you can make your audience feel valued, understood and connected to your brand without ever speaking to them one on one. Also, they’ll be more likely to stay loyal knowing you’re providing a clearinghouse of information for troubleshooting, education, news and more on your site.
Content Marketing Helps Customers Understand Your Offerings
How often do customers contact you with questions about how your products and services work? If you answered “often,” it’s time to turn those FAQs into content. Not only will this save you time, but Learn Hub reports 73% of customers actually prefer to solve these issues themselves.
Think about your consumers’ biggest pain points, then develop blogs, videos, infographics and other content pieces that clearly address the issues they face. Check out these examples:
- A how-to video showcasing a live demonstration of a product in action
- A blog that outlines the long-term benefits customers can achieve through your services
- A stat sheet that shows the efficacy and value of your offerings compared to competitors
- A Q&A content piece answering common questions
This list only scratches the surface, as there are myriad ways to assist customers through content marketing. As you develop your strategy, keep their needs at the forefront and provide information you know they’ll want to read.
Content Marketing Simplifies Complex Issues
It’s often difficult to resolve complicated issues through a 5-minute phone call or live-chat conversation. Content marketing has the power to break down ideas into scannable content that improves consistency, provides context, tells a story and helps the reader better envision certain processes.
For example, let’s say you’re a B2B healthcare company that sells benefits programs to employers. Without content marketing, an interested client would need to call and ask a series of questions with no prior background. With content marketing, you can free up your service team to focus on unique incoming questions, while providing the customer with accurate information straight from the source, as shown below.
Q: “What services do you offer?”
A: “Here’s a link to a PDF outlining all our services, such as urgent care, primary care and behavioral health. It includes bullet points and icons that clearly describe what each service line entails.”
Q: “How much does it cost?”
A: “With a wide selection of programs at different price points, we suggest using our interactive pricing map to help you gauge which services best fit your budget. You can also read this blog to help you narrow down benefit options based on employee demand.”
Q: “How do I get up and running?”
A: “This link to our step-by-step flowchart, which contains graphics and text that display each action you should take, will help you visualize the process.”
Q: “How can I educate my employees?”
A: “Our website has a list of some useful talking points that will help you share details about the benefits with your employees.”
The customer can then keep all this information handy, rather than frantically jotting down every word from a call or misunderstanding what was shared. At the end of each content piece, be sure to provide clear instructions for contacting you, as well as links to specific products or services as potential solutions, in case they still have questions.
Content Marketing Generates Cost-Effective Leads & Awareness
Did you know content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing, yet it generates three times as many leads? Capitalizing on content is key for growing your business — and it all ties back to strong customer service.
For instance, an existing customer seeking answers from your blog might see a product linked in the text that would help them solve their problem, then purchase it. Or, maybe you have a detailed infographic that requires an email to download. Once the user submits their information, it will be stored in your database and help you target the individual more effectively.
Additionally, HubSpot revealed 45% of organizations cite “increasing awareness” as their No. 1 goal for content marketing; and thanks to SEO, it works. Let’s say you run a plumbing company and someone searches “tips to unclog a drain.” If your business has a relevant blog pop up — and the user’s current plumbing company does not — this helpful content could convince them to make the switch to your brand, even if they’d never heard of it before landing on your site.
Both new and existing customers will begin to see your organization as a go-to source of information within your industry. Plus, if they already rely on your content, they’ll be more likely to rely on your products or services over the other guys.
Content Marketing Is Expected
In this day and age, more than 90% of B2B and B2C organizations invest in content marketing. Companies that neglect this opportunity will spend more time fielding customer service concerns, leave users seeking online advice disappointed and fall behind competitors in the race to secure new leads.
It’s clear that content marketing is paramount to your overall strategy, essential for building loyalty, educating audiences and increasing revenue. When leveraged as a customer service tool, consumers can build relationships and solve problems directly from your website, without ever needing to send an email or pick up the phone.
There are countless ways to ramp up content for any company, but knowing which tactics will best resonate with your audience can be tricky. Our content marketing professionals can help you pinpoint creative solutions that address common concerns and position your brand as a reliable, customer-first hub for industry knowledge.
