Welcome to our Getting Clients with… series, where we explore different tactics and approaches to get new clients as a freelancer in Belgium. In this edition, we talk about content marketing.
What is content marketing?
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” – Content Marketing Institute
In other words, you create content that interests your target clients, who eventually buy from you. Content marketing is considered a great tactic for getting new clients. It’s easy to implement, relatively affordable, and enables a more personal connection with your target audiences.
But we also live in an age where anyone with a social media platform can call themselves a “content creator.” This begs the question, does content marketing work to get new clients?
A recent study found only 29% of B2B marketers with a documented content strategy say it’s extremely or very effective, and 58% say it’s moderately effective.
So, what makes the difference between a very effective content strategy and a not-so-effective one? Let’s explore.
Leading with value
The reasons those marketers in that study who found their content strategies only moderately effective or worse relate to two main factors: first, a lack of clear goals (42%) and second, a missing link with their customer journeys (39%).
Now, what could be a more precise goal than selling, selling, selling? It doesn’t get clearer than that! Of course, the ultimate objective of your content strategy should be to attract and retain customers. But to achieve that, you need to bring awareness of who you are and the value you can deliver. Therefore, you must first know your prospects well and where to find them.
“You need to estimate where your potentials actually hang out the most. What is your ideal profile, and what groups do they belong to?” says one community member. Armed with that knowledge, you then create relevant and valuable content. Another community member explains, “The most effective for me and my clients by far has been leading with value. That means showcasing your expertise and sharing what you know out in the open. A lot of people (business owners in particular) pitch and self-promote without proving that they’re worth the hire. When you share your expert insight freely, you build trust with people, and they’ll think, ‘I’m getting the good stuff for free; imagine how much more I can get when I DO pay for their services.’ Most people only think pitch, pitch, but don’t really show WHY anyone should ever pay them.”
Going the distance
One common theme around content marketing from our community members is that this is an excellent approach to building long-term relationships. “I slowly build relations. Does that mean instant work? No, but it’s a long-term relationship building,” says one community member. “I got three leads out of [LinkedIn content] already. Two of them fell through because I was not the right fit. But these people know me now and refer me to others.”
You can and will have some quick wins, but many agree you will get the most value from this tactic in the medium to long term. Consistency in your content efforts will be the key success enabler for short-, medium-, and long-term wins.
Imagine you now understand your target clients and where they hang out. You create valuable content that aligns with their needs and stage in the buyer journey. Is that it? If you “built it,” will they come? Not quite. Now is the time to get out there and network. LinkedIn was the best place for one community member to post great content, connect with others, and maximize their content strategy efforts. “I invest at least one hour daily searching for great content, engaging with it, connecting with people, and looking for interesting prospects! In the end, you get out of it how much you invest, so don’t expect miracles if you are not doing your part and testing out what works.”
Be you; everyone else is already taken
In a sea of content creators and businesses fighting to capture prospects’ attention, chances are high that you’ll find some competition. You could consider the positive side: “If so many people are in the same business, there must be a market for it.” So, how do prospective clients choose one provider over another? The answer is you. Or, in the legendary words of the one and only Kung Fu Panda, “there is no secret ingredient. It’s just you.”
But don’t just trust the words of a fictional character. Take this insight from one of our community members. “The most important advice here is to be yourself and always stay authentic! Share content that explains your skills, interests, passion, and where you get inspiration.” One report predicts – with some great examples to back it up – how this year will see increased growth in the trend of “people, not brands.” There’s no better chance to be you than today.
One explanation for this trend is the rapid adoption of AI technologies in digital marketing, particularly generative AI. It’s a topic that generates some discussion among the Freelancers in Belgium community – and with good reason. Many have mistakenly characterized generative AI as replacing many human abilities, creating consumer mistrust and pushback. Research shows that 52% of consumers are less engaged with content when they suspect it’s written by AI. Use these tools in your content marketing to expand your abilities, not eliminate them entirely.
Does content marketing work?
The short answer is yes, content marketing does work. The long answer is yes; content marketing works when it meets the right conditions.
Here’s a summary.
Content marketing works when you…
- Create relevant content that attracts your target audience
- Offer valuable insights and expertise that address your target customer needs
- Expand beyond content creation and engage with your network and other expert content
- Commit to this tactic for the medium- to long-term
Content marketing does not work when you…
- Focus on self-promotion only with no tangible value for your target audience.
- Fail to align your content to different stages of your buyer journey
- Are inconsistent with your publishing efforts and expect significant results after only a few tries
- Uses generic, inauthentic content that heavily relies on AI
Author’s note: Community quotes have been edited for length and clarity. No generative AI was used to develop this particular piece.