Content Marketing: Don’t Be Afraid to Answer Questions

All too often I hear from clients and prospects that you don’t want to give away too much online. This is absolutely the wrong strategy if you want to succeed online.  This is what has spawned the concept of content marketing.

People come to the Internet for answers. When they are looking for a Mexican Restaurant, they “google” it. When they are looking for the support on a computer program, they google it. When they are in financial or legal trouble, they google it. From simple purchases to major life choices, people turn to the Internet for answers.

If you want to be successful online, you have to be one who provides answers. If someone comes to your website looking for an answer and receives a message to call and ask for a salesperson, they will turn away and go to your competitor’s website. If someone comes to your website looking for an answer and you require them to fill out a twenty-question registration form, they will turn away and go to your competitor’s website. You just lost a customer to your competitor because you didn’t provide an answer.

So how do you succeed in online marketing? Give away information and make it easily accessible. I deal with attorneys quite often. Legal advice is hard to give away and lawyers don’t get paid to give away free advice. My suggestion is to offer as much general information as possible. When those looking for information need help, they will contact you.

I listened to an episode of “Inbound Now,” a great podcast about inbound marketing, today. The host was interviewing a social media/content marketing “guru” who is responsible for River Pools and Spas’ success online. I call him a guru only because he hates that word, sorry. He makes a living telling his story and how is success is rooted in being the first company to answer how much a fiberglass pool costs. Too many competitors in this space were afraid prices would scare away customers or would give an unfair advantage to competitors. But by being the first to answer that question and hundreds more, he built River Pools and Spas into the online leader in their industry.

My advice to you today is not to be afraid to answer questions and give away information. It will bring you customers and more importantly, it will keep you from giving prospective customers to your competitors.