These days, every company focused on customer experience is also a content company.
Delivering quality content to customers builds trust and strengthens relationships. With the power of search engine optimization, content can be a powerful marketing tool to establish your company as a thought leader and develop credibility. According to Leslie Yazel, Editor and Head of Content for Buy Side from WSJ, people who come through search are looking for a particular product or answer and can turn into valuable customers.
Brands that include content in their CX strategy can bring in new customers by providing knowledge bases and answers to common questions. Customers may not be searching for a particular product, but they may search with a question that your brand’s content can answer.
Developing content can be daunting for companies and teams who have never done it before. Yazel suggests starting where the reader is, including understanding trends and channels that matter to them. She says pushing a product before you’ve provided knowledge and helped someone get comfortable with the brand and industry can be a misstep. The goal of content in customer experience isn’t necessarily to sell products but to answer questions that will lead customers to the best decision, whether or not that’s your brand.
But it’s not just about the words themselves. Yazel says brands can’t underestimate the power of visuals. Including vibrant photos and a compelling design helps people want to stay on a site and continue reading. Your design should reflect your brand and make the customer feel comfortable to build your credibility and their comfort.
Ultimately, Yazel says including content in your CX strategy is about showing your work. Let the customer know the work that has gone into your content, and be transparent about your research and sources. Customers who feel like they have the full picture are more likely to feel good about their purchase.
Content marketing is all about building trust. People have to trust a brand, which comes through in accurate and transparent writing and research. Providing answers and resources builds goodwill and can bring customers into your brand to start incredible long-term relationships.
No matter your business or industry, content can play a crucial role in your customer experience strategy.
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Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist and the bestselling author of The Customer of the Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.