Content marketing has become such an integral component of the modern business landscape that most people don’t even think about it when they see it. Through all of the layers of content that are shared every day, there is one common goal: driving traffic and ultimately sales for the creators of the content. If you are delivering high quality content that is beneficial for your target audience, it’s a win-win situation because your company benefits as well. In case that isn’t enough to convince you, the following details 5 reasons an organization should practice content marketing.

Branding. The concept of using content to build a brand that you want to resonate with your target audience is one of the oldest marketing strategies in existence. If you want to cater to a specific target audience, then your content must be attractive to them. In the digital age, this notion has taken on a whole new level because customers can share content with hundreds, or even thousands, of people with the simple click of a button.

Sharing. Customer sharing is one of the most valuable types of advertising for an organization and it is very low cost. While it does take time and money to maintain engaging, interactive social media channels, websites, and blogs with high quality content that your target audience wants to share, you spend a fraction of what you would spend on traditional means of advertising, such as newspaper and TV ads.

Learning more. Creating and publishing high quality content is not enough to ensure successful content marketing. You have to pay attention to the type of content that your target audience wants and then tweak future content according to their responses. You want to learn from your mistakes while using the success that you achieve to drive even more success.

Building relationships. One reason that customers follow favorite brands via social media is to interact with them. People appreciate it when a company takes the time to respond to their questions, comments, and complaints in a timely manner. Assign a marketing staff member or small marketing team to respond to customer messages on a daily basis or even multiple times per day. These relationships can provide a host of information for your company, such as what type of content to create and what products customers would like to see during an upcoming sale.

Creating value. The bottom line is that content marketing must provide value for your target audience. While you know that the practice of content marketing is highly beneficial for your corporation, you also feel good knowing that you’re providing relevant, meaningful information that your audience can use to better their own lives. People don’t mind the concept of promotion nearly as much if they get something out of the content.

The notion of content marketing can be overwhelming, especially when you’re just getting started with it. Keep in mind that you don’t have to take on everything at once. Prioritize your needs and then build from there. For example, if your company recently re-branded, focus on getting the new name and logo out there on all of your content. Over time you can add other areas of priority such as encouraging sharing and fostering deeper customer relationships.