More than ever, content matters. Google has been talking a lot about the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT)–the idea that buyers, both B2B and consumers, start to make their decision well before they talk to a sales person or make themselves known to the seller. According to their research, activities like checking out copany's website, checking references (online or in person) and doing an online search are more important than the actual visit to the store, or meeting with the sales person.
What does that mean for you? It means that your customers are checking you out, and, often, deciding whether they want to do busienss with you well before they ever reach out. Your website is your most important sales rep. And if you aren't proactively tracking and influencing what people say and write about you–not just professionals, but your actual customers, you are missing a huge opportunity.
Start now. Make sure your website is friendly, easy to navigate, and answers the questions a prospetive customer is likely to have. Make sure that there's a lot of unique content that shows the value someone could get from your offering. Solicit quotes, references, testimonials, case studies from your clients–and be generous with your own endorsement when you love the product or service.
Increasingly, marketing is digital marketing, and digital marketing is all about the content.
