How can content marketing give you a competitive edge?

Content marketing is about storytelling and it’s this that you can use to give your brand a competitive edge. As far back as the 1920s (and beyond) we have seen examples of the way in which products and services are distinguished from the competition by focusing on the ‘why.’ This is where the element of storytelling comes in as a way to engage your customers and show them what it is about your business and your products that will meet their needs, and engage them, in a way that the competition just won’t do. Content marketing is the method of delivery for storytelling today – without this, it’s very difficult to make your brand stand out.

It’s not the product it’s the story behind it

In the 1920s Schlitz beer shot up in the popularity stakes to joint first in its market thanks to some canny content marketing that integrated the story of the way the beer was manufactured. The business focused its ads on the water purification process used to make the beer and wove this into a story that really engaged consumers. What’s particularly interesting about this story is that, at the time, every single other beer manufacturer used exactly the same process but none of the others had thought to put it into their advertising. By telling the story of the brand through its water purification process Schlitz distinguished itself in the minds of consumers and laid the groundwork for the process that all brands go through today of establishing a unique selling proposition.

Standing out from the crowd

As markets have become increasingly oversaturated and competitive with fewer differences between products and services it is often the storytelling that sets one brand apart from the other. It’s not difficult for products to be reverse engineered or copied so for any business today the uniqueness of the brand needs to come from somewhere else. That somewhere else is often the content marketing, which consumers are increasingly relying on to help them make buying decisions, making it one of the most powerful tools for any brand keen to stand out from the crowd.

Make sure you’re showing up during the buying journey

If your brand isn’t appearing anywhere on a prospect’s buying journey then you are missing out on an opportunity to make a sale. Buyers today are making decisions based on their own terms – using search engines and social media to find information and the opinions of others – and it’s essential that your brand is within their remit if you want to feature in the decision-making process. Content provides the opportunity to ensure that your marketing is within their remit and that when it comes to buying choices your products and services are up there. While there may be little difference between yours and competitors products, the content marketing you create can help to make potential buyers feel differently about your brand and it’s this that can deliver a truly competitive edge.

Content marketing is an essential tool for every business today no matter what your market. Find out how Iconic Digital can help create content for your business, get in touch today, call us on 020 7100 0726. Find out more about our Content Marketing Agency in London.