You’ve certainly heard of the phrase “Content is King” that Bill Gates coined in 1996. He believed that online content is where the real money can be made on the internet, and he wasn’t mistaken. Content drives the online world, from blogs to social networking posts and video sharing sites. Without content, your Google search results would be an empty page.
Content Creator became one of the best paying jobs in the world, especially as certain creators turned to digital influencers. It is also one of the most popular job choices with 86% of Young Americans wanting to become influencers and content creators according to Bloomberg. The market is showing no signs of slowing down and continues to evolve.
So who’s the Queen?
Every king needs a queen, and there’s been a debate about who that Queen really is. Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of VAYNERMedia, said “Content is King, but marketing is Queen and the Queen runs the household.” and I’m here to tell you that the Queen is Inbound Marketing in particular.
You don’t need to be a chess expert to know one simple rule: the King is the most valuable player on that board, but the Queen is the most powerful. Your content is your treasure, but your Marketing strategy can make or break your game.
Who is more important, the King or the Queen?
The answer is simply both because just like in chess, they are codependent. You need to invest in both your Content and your Marketing strategy equally.
Similarly to how the Queen can move freely across the chess board, your Marketing strategy can move your content across different platforms. However, a perfectly crafted strategy cannot maintain good customer engagement and ROI if the content is irrelevant and of no value to the audience. When the King starts to fall, there’s only so much the Queen can do to protect it before falling with him. Inbound Marketing ensures that your content is strong enough to support both.
On the other hand, a poorly mapped out Marketing strategy leaves the King unprotected. Your content, no matter how well-written, cannot reach the target audience and attract prospective customers if it isn’t properly distributed and promoted. Inbound Marketing protects your King and helps you win the game.
How does QUEEN explain Marketing?
Did you know that you can summarize Content Marketing in Inbound through the acronym QUEEN? Let me show you.
1. Qualify:
Qualifying your prospects helps you determine which ones are worth the investment, and saves you time and money.
There are three criteria you need to qualify your sales prospects: Need, Budget, and Authority.
a. Need: a qualified lead is one who needs your product or service right now.
b. Budget: a qualified lead is one who has sufficient budget to buy your product or service.
c. Authority: a qualified lead is one who can take action and make the final decision.
2. Understand:
Understanding your customer’s behavior when interacting with content helps you customize your topics and distribution tactics to get the best responses from your audience.
There are 4 types of consumer behaviors: habitual buying behavior, variety-seeking behavior, dissonance-reducing buying behavior, complex buying behavior. These types of behaviors are determined by the customer’s involvement in the purchasing process, the kind of product they need, and the differences between different brands.
a. Complex buying behavior:
This is encountered during high-value investments like buying a house or a car. Customers are highly involved in the entire purchasing process, researching the significant differences that brands offer before making a final decision.
b. Dissonance-reducing buying behavior:
This behavior is observed during expensive, or infrequent, purchases where the consumer is highly involved in the purchasing process, but their research does not allow them to see any pronounced differences between different brands. Their decision is then based on convenience or cost.
With this type of behavior, post-purchase remorse is often observed and the consumer will seek validation that they’ve made the right choice.
This behavior highlights the importance for brands to present clear and valuable information about their products and services.
c. Habitual buying behavior
This type of behavior is characterized by little consumer involvement or brand loyalty. It is often observed in grocery shopping for example. Most purchases at a grocery store are out of habit and preference.
d. Variety seeking behavior:
This type of behavior is also not about brand loyalty but does demand some level of consumer involvement. The purchase is not driven by a lack of satisfaction with another product, but simply because they are seeking variety. An example would be trying a new candle scent or soda flavor.
3. Excite:
Exciting your audience is all about presenting them with content you know they’ll enjoy in ways or places they wouldn’t expect. Create entertaining videos in which you present helpful information about your products. Get creative!
A great medium at the moment is explainer videos, like the ones VerveVideos.com offers. They’re short videos that present your brand in a fun and concise way. It makes it easier for your audience to understand your products and services and keeps them focused.
4. Engage:
Engaging with your prospects is what Inbound Marketing is all about. Online platforms have the perfect tools to communicate with your audience through different posts, comments, and direct messaging. If your content is customized for your audience, there’s nothing stopping them from interacting with it and engaging with your brand.
5. Nurture:
Nurturing those relationships created through your content is your last step towards converting leads into paying customers. They love your content and they find it interesting. Now engage with them directly. Inform them of your services and products, address their questions and concerns, and make them an offer they can’t refuse.
Thanks to your Inbound Marketing strategy, you know your customers best which makes you your own King.
