We can all learn quite a bit from industry publications and magazines. They are content factories that become a trusted hub of information for people interested in buying products, solving problems or growing their knowledge. They are living, breathing hubs that become a place where an ongoing connection can happen with readers and possible customers.
Wikipedia, WebMD and Inc. are content publishers that put forth information that helps people looking for answers at an industrial scale of production. Inc. magazine has over 390,000 pages that can be found on Google search and is available to the world 24/7/365. They are an authoritative site that has earned its place online, not only from their great content, but also from their persistence in their content publishing process.
You may not have an army of content creators, but if you are not even in the game, then someone else can easily become the industry leader to uneducated prospects. Their content is available and growing as an immortal asset that can provide helpful information. This means valuing something that can be created once and augmented over time in the form of remarkable content and watching it grow as an asset that attracts attention over then next several decades.
Living And Breathing Hub Means Freshness
The reality is that if you are not remarkable and consistent, then the efforts you might put forward will die off and become obscure. The work really never ends. The quality standards are increasing because so many companies and individuals are raising the bar on what is valuable, meaningful and helpful content.
The execution and processes for acting like a magazine, researching topics in depth and adhering to a relentless publishing schedule can deter many companies from even starting or investing in a content strategy that would otherwise help them get new business. There has to be a vibrant, fresh set of activities that signals to the world that you are open for business and providing timely content that matters.
Your authority comes from how tuned in you are to your industry and the freshness of your content. All the while, your arsenal of resources is able to be accessed for new readers.
Wasting Money On Meaningless Marketing
Perhaps many companies shy away from the hard work or strategy of partnering with a content marketing company to drive a living, breathing hub for their market because it can feel overwhelming. The alternative is to expend money on marketing that is a one and done. Direct mail campaigns, billboards, and traditional marketing which is hard to measure and has a fast half-life become attractive places for spending marketing dollars.
The problem is that those dollars don’t translate into an asset that you own or can use to continue attracting new customers. Once you stop paying or the campaign is over, then the dollars are gone.
Content that engages readers and doesn’t just purely sell them and repel them builds your reputation and grows trust. Remarkable content positions you as the leader in your industry. It establishes your authority and helps you to grow an audience of people that want more. These people buy, refer and recommend items every day. A living, breathing hub provides a place for them to come back to and bolster their own needs for growing their businesses or developing social currency.
When you think about where you are going to invest money, how would a living breathing hub of content, much like a magazine publisher, put you in the mind of your buyers? What holds you back?