According to the Information Technology Services Marketing Association, nearly two-thirds of all consumers conduct their own research before making purchases. This means most people who are ready to buy already know details about what you’re selling. They’ve read the ratings and reviews. They’ve seen all the articles. They’re educated. But who creates all this information they are reading?
In the last few years, we’ve seen an outpouring of fresh and relevant content all across the foodservice equipment and supplies industries. From stay-at-home moms blogging about local restaurants to multi-billion dollar corporations publishing white papers about increasing throughput in QSRs, our collective vision of marketing and content creation is changing. With the birth and development of inbound marketing strategies, we've seen companies move away from traditional outbound methodologies like cold calling in favor of delivering valuable digital content and information. Companies want to be seen as thought leaders, not just salespeople.
Content marketing places emphasis on providing relevant information to potential and existing customers when those target audiences are actually ready for that information. The idea is that as your buyer personas begin to see you as a valuable source of information, they begin to trust you. Trust leads to reader retention and brand loyalty. As you continue to provide useful information to your now eager audience, your buyers begin to see you as a thought leader. And it's common sense that consumers like to buy things from companies that are trustworthy, knowledgeable, and leaders in the industry.
From blogs to case studies and from white papers to press releases, the supply of information is critical. It seems like everyone has something to say about just about everything these days. So if everyone else (including your competition) is influencing foodservice buyers with relevant information, shouldn't you be, too?