Importance of Content Marketing: 7 New Reasons Why Content Marketing Is the Future of Online Business

So, why is content marketing important?

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re trying to figure out a way to rise above the noise of all the other fitness, wellness and nutrition businesses online.

If that’s you, what I’m about to share with you is going to make a big difference to your business.

It’s also going to help you have an easier time converting people into loyal fans, subscribers and customers.

We’re going to dive into 7 new reasons content marketing is the future for your online business.

Start Creating Content Now

I’ve had an online business for about 11 years, and I made a lot of mistakes when I first started out.

But one of the things I did right was to create content. Now, I wasn’t very strategic about it. Basically all I did was create a ton of YouTube videos. But now I have more than 800 videos on my channel – which I encourage you to visit – and they focus on fitness, nutrition and health.

That was one of the first things that I did right out of the gate that helped grow my business – publish content that added value to viewers’s lives. Over time, people who viewed my videos may have come back to my website and had an easier time doing business with me.

The videos helped them feel like they knew, liked and trusted me.

That’s just one reason I believe that content is very important.

Click here to download my “secret weapon” to creating awesome content

Importance of Content Marketing

What I’m going to be sharing with you is valid whether you’re going to be doing YouTube videos, writing blog content, podcasting, or offering any other form of free content.

Here’s something to think about: if we look at modern thought leaders – people like Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk – how have they gotten their name out there?

Yes, they wrote books.

But how were they able to write those books?

Well, they created a platform that, initially, was generated by content they put out into the marketplace.

Content has a really important place in your business model. If it doesn’t, then you’re going to fall behind what everyone else is doing.

With that said, let’s jump into the reasons content marketing is a must for your online health and fitness business.

7 Reasons to Start Content Marketing Now

1. You ARE a Thought Leader

The first thing to understand is that as a health and fitness expert, you are essentially a thought leader. You have specific ideas, perspectives, and insights.

You need to be developing content around your uniqueness – if you don’t, then how is anyone going to know what you’re all about?

That’s the number one reason you need to be developing content whether it’s written, video, or audio. It’s crucial.

2. Content Creates Goodwill

Think about each piece of content that serves your audience as a DEPOSIT into the relationship you are building with them. This deposit is known as “goodwill”.

The more goodwill deposits you make, the richer your relationship becomes. And the more goodwill you build up in your marketplace, the more responsive your audience will be when you eventually ask for something (ie. make a withdrawal).

But let’s say someone’s first interaction with you is involves them landing on your website that shouts “Buy now.”

They are going to think, “Who are you? I’m not going to buy this because I have no idea what this is or who this person is.”

It’s like jumping into bed with someone without ever going on a date. Sure it can happen, but the chances are pretty low.

But what if – instead of continually asking people to buy your products or services – you’re actually providing them with great value and content?

Over time, you’re shifting the relationship to being somebody who’s adding value to their lives instead of always asking for a sale.

How do you do this? Think about the most common questions in your niche.

What problems are people dealing with? How can you answer those questions or solve those problems in a blog post or on video?

Doing so will position you as an expert and a sought-after thought leader in your specific niche.

Now, when I talk about niche within the wellness industry, I’m saying that because obviously it’s a pretty big space. Narrowing your niche is vital. Go deep and narrow.

Here are some examples of some small, targeted niches:

• Maybe you’re the person who helps soon-to-be brides get in great shape for their wedding, or
• Maybe you get moms who just gave birth get rid of the baby weight.
• Maybe you’re the go-to recipe creator for baked goods that only use with stevia.

Solving problems for that specific market creates massive goodwill.

3. The Right Content Generates Word of Mouth

Content, assuming that it’s amazing content, is the best way to generate word of mouth through sharing on social media.

And as we know, in today’s online world, social media runs the game.

If you’re providing content that is valuable to other people, they will want to share it with others who may also find it valuable as well.

So, when you’re writing content or creating videos, think about whether it is valuable in a sense where people think:  “Wow, this is amazing. I need to share this.”

If you create high-quality content that serves your audience, then it’s going to spread almost without your control, which is pretty cool.

4. Content Attracts the Right People

Your content will serve to both repel and attract the right people into your business.

Now, let’s look at the first part. It repels people from doing business with you. That’s actually a good thing.

Let me use video as an example. Video is beautiful because, in a split second, you’re making judgments. Now there’s nothing wrong with that –  this is the way we operate as human beings.

Maybe, for instance, you watch one of my videos and think: “I don’t like the way this guy looks. Why doesn’t he have any hair?”

The story behind that (if you don’t already know) is on my website.

Or maybe you don’t like my voice. Maybe you don’t like the way I dress. Whatever it is, those are simple prejudgments that are going to repel you from my content.

But perhaps you like what I’m talking about, and it attracts you to want to go deeper and learn more.

When you publish content, the people who see it will make judgments, not only about you but the content itself.

Am I brash, or do I know what I’m talking about? Am I giving you new insights and perspectives that you may not have thought about before?

These are things that are going to help attract the right people.

Do you have a specific position and stance on something that is going to infuriate some people, while other will people agree with you and want to be a part of your community?

It’s really important in your content to be able to take a stance, a position.

This goes back to the first point we talked about: Thought leaders need to share their thoughts.

When you share your thoughts, your perspectives, your insights, you naturally are going to repel some people and attract others. That’s just the way it is and that’s great. That’s what you want.

You’re not the one size fits all solution for everybody. That’s the last thing you want to be.

5. It Helps People Do Business With You…With Less Resistance

We’re not massive, popular brands that people already know, like Apple or Coca-Cola.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t build a great brand. The way to do that is to add massive value into the marketplace in somewhat of a consistent fashion.

Over time, you develop a deeper relationship with your audience because you’ve educated them and moved them closer to their goals. Thus, content (done right) is, essentially, marketing. Education is marketing, teaching is selling. That’s the way I see it.

Over time, people start to drink your Kool-Aid. As you build that relationship, even virtually, the barrier to resistance of doing business with you becomes a lot lower. It’s a little more likely they will become your customer.

This happens because as your audience consumes your content they begin to know, like, and trust you. You develop what I call your “KLT score“, which is imperative to build up before anyone will ever do business with you.

So, it’s not about putting billboards on the side of highways or expecting people to just land on your website and buy your products or services.

It doesn’t matter how cool your offerings are. Nobody cares if you’ve got the latest diet or helping them get into shape.

Why? Because they’ve seen it a hundred times. You need to provide content in a way that actually speaks to their problems and helps solve them.

6. It Helps People Find You

When it comes to online traffic, Google values the user experience above all else. And when people are on Google searching around, guess what they’re looking for?

Some type of content (or solution) to their query (or problem). If that’s what you give them, then you’re in luck.

Google is committed to ranking websites based on whether other people are deeming the websites as helpful or not based on what people are looking for.

If you’re doing a search for how to lose weight and you have a website that talks about computers, guess what? Your website is not going to rank for how to lose weight. Duh, right?

However, if you’re providing amazing content on how to lose weight, and people are loving it and sharing it and linking to it, that is going to tell Google that you’ve got a great piece of content on your site – and as a result, you will rank higher in the search results over time.

It’s kind of like going to a restaurant with nobody inside, and the maitre d’ is outside on the streets begging you to come in. Would you want to eat there? I sure wouldn’t!

I’m sure you’ve been to or strolled right by these restaurants, especially if you’ve traveled to Europe.

Contrast that to the restaurant that you can’t even get into because it’s so busy and it has reservations booked up for the next 3 months. Everybody wants to be in that restaurant.

That’s a vote of confidence. And that’s how Google sees your content.

Google is looking at votes in confidence to your website, by the quality of your content and peoples’ willingness to share it. That goes back to the fact that people are actually talking about it and sharing it.

Good luck for that to happen if your website is nothing more than a glorified sales pitch for your product or service.

You’ve got to be a value adder.

7. Evergreen Content Lasts Forever

If your content is evergreen – it will last forever. That’s assuming you’re not jumping on the latest news-jacking stuff.

Don’t create content about what’s happening in the news – that’s a blip on the radar.

Instead, create content around problems that are pervasive, that people will always have into the future. Here are some evergreen examples in the fitness and wellness spheres:

• How to lose weight
• How to have more energy
• How to gain muscle

When it comes to your own niche, you know your stuff. If you’re creating content around those themes, that is evergreen content that people will be searching for for years to come.

If you publish content around those problems, you are giving them answers. That’s the name of the game. And the more you help them, the more they’ll trust you. And the more they trust you, the more they hang on to your every word and recommendation.

That’s INFLUENCE!

Whether you’re sharing your expertise via video or written content, it doesn’t really matter. The key is that you’re expressing your thoughts and solving peoples’ problems.

(NOTE: Feel free to share the following infographic on your site or elsewhere as long as you link back to this page).

Here’s What To Do Next…

As you can see, creating excellent content is a huge part of building your online health and fitness business. And if you’re not using it in a strategic way, then you will sadly be surpassed by other healthpreneurs who are.

It’s the ultimate way to build trust and authority in the marketplace so if you aren’t developing content to attract and engage potential customers, what exactly are you doing?

If you need help coming up with more topic ideas to help your content above the noise, then I’d suggest downloading a copy of my 2-page Content Marketing Launchpad by clicking on the banner below…