Why Brands Must Become Publishers

This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Louise Banks

*Brands that publish content are providing added value to their customers for free. Learn more about the publishing strategy and how it helps brands get ahead. * One of the best ways for brands to achieve success is by becoming publishers. Customers use the Internet to educate themselves on products and services before making a buying decision. If brands supply this information in easy-to-access formats, the companies give consumers more value. This added value increases credibility and trust with customers and this leads to more sales and a better bottom line.

The Landscape of Brands as Publishers

There is a wide range of content types available for educating consumers. By utilizing several of these methods, a brand reaches many more potential customers. All of these publishing methods come under the heading of content marketing, the newest trend in inbound marketing. Several publishing formats are:
- Articles
- Blogs/guest blog posts
- Cartoons/comics
- Case studies
- E-books
- Email newsletters
- How-to guide
- Images/illustrations
- Infographics
- Memes
- Podcasts
- Testimonials
- Videos
- Webinars
- White Papers
The types of publishing you choose depend on your target audience. It's important to understand what motivates this target market to buy. By knowing the needs of your customers, you can engage with and inform them with the most suitable publishing methods. As an inbound marketing strategy, publishing content on the Internet results in organic search-engine leads that have a 14.6 percent close rate. Conversely, outbound-marketing leads only have a close rate of 1.7 percent, reports Hub Spot.

Why Content Marketing Works for Brands

Companies that provide consumers with the answers they need in turn help their brands grow. According to TMZ Custom Media, a research study discovered that 90 percent of consumers feel the content that brands publish is useful. Also, 78 percent of consumers know that companies use publishing to build better relationships and to entice consumers to buy products or services; but this isn't a problem, as long as the content is valuable. By creating free and useful information, brands establish their expertise in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Consumers are more likely to buy from companies they perceive as authorities. Content marketing is a good method for getting new customers and repeat business. It's also less time-consuming and more effective than outbound marketing or interruption methods. More and more companies are realizing that content marketing is a great strategy for attracting customers and building trust. The Content Marketing Association reports that 68 percent of consumers read content published by a brand in which they are interested. By publishing branded content, a company can turn readers into buyers.

Content Example: Atlassian and Infographics

Atlassian, a software for software company, uses infographics to inform their audience of the amount of time wasted at work and searching for information. Their two most popular infographics generated hundreds of thousands of views - all from content marketing. Take a look at their wasting time infographic and their information management infographic.

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