Hint: the importance of content in digital marketing extends well beyond lead generation. Discover how content can help your business to speak up (and why having a strong digital presence matters).
We recently wrote a two-part article series on how business leaders are using inbound to adapt their operations and scale. (Don’t miss: Part 1 and Part 2).
One of the key points raised in those articles was the inbound methodology’s ability to give brands a voice in their industry. But why is having a voice really so important, and how can your content marketing, delivered tactically using platforms like HubSpot, help you to amplify your reach in the right places, for the right people?
“I didn’t fully appreciate how silent our business was”
In the aforementioned article series, we talked about the thought leadership and branding opportunities created by the inbound approach and how these helped to publicly position VFE’s senior leadership team as experts. Over fifteen months, this has cemented VFE’s already strong position as a leading-edge provider within the UK’s advanced manufacturing industry and driven a marked increase in social media performance, specifically:
- 45% increase in followers
- 44,400% increase in clicks
- 94,000% increase in interactions
- 2,237% increase in sessions through to the website
Busch UK, which acquired VFE in August 2021, also cited the strength of its market presence as a key factor when making the decision to move forward with the sale, demonstrating that a strong voice doesn’t just speak to prospects and customers. With a clear voice, the potential to engage and persuade stakeholders can also be influenced.
But this wasn’t VFE’s prerogative when the team first reached out to us. Like many new prospects, their concerns were immediate. How could they maximise time to value when rolling out HubSpot? What was the best strategy for launching their new products to market?
“I didn't fully appreciate how silent our business was in what we had to offer until Tom created a confident voice, with which we now effortlessly communicate with our customers.” David Byrne, CEO, VFE
Your brand’s voice might not be front of mind in the boardroom, and it can’t be solved overnight, but as digital adoption grows and customers increasingly go online for solutions to their problems, addressing it is a key part of any successful digital transformation strategy.
How HubSpot can help your business to speak up
Globally recognised growth platform HubSpot offers a range of functionality to help businesses amplify their voices, communicate consistently and grow their online presence.
(The following tools assume you have already defined your voice. If not, first read this article on defining your brand voice and supporting tone of voice guidelines.)
Available in its Marketing Hub, HubSpot’s Social Media Management software enables businesses to spend more time connecting with their target audiences through time-saving tools that help them to prioritise their social interactions.
- Run all your social media from one central location, improving your marketing team’s efficiency but also promoting a consistent voice across your social communications.
- Link the senior leadership team’s LinkedIn accounts to automatically post through them, lending credibility to your voice and amplifying it to high-value audiences.
- Never miss a social mention, further amplifying your reach in the places where your audience needs you most and helping you to develop a truly customer-centric voice.
- Attribute business value to social media, linking your activities to revenue closed and giving historically ‘fluffy’ subjects such as brand voice a place in the boardroom.
Social media isn’t the only place where your voice is heard. The company blog is highly influential in terms of your online presence. Many businesses will recognise it as the source of the highest volume of organic traffic to the site, after the homepage itself. HubSpot’s Blog software is set up so that your team can publish quality blog content like articles and case studies optimised to drive traffic and convert today’s readers into tomorrow’s customers.
- Write and format blog content with ease, streamlining the content production process and giving your voice a clear home on the company website.
- Insert relevant, personalised calls-to-action that speak in your voice to your target audience, converting blog visitors into new subscribers and qualified leads.
- Editing has never been easier, so your marketing manager, head of content or managing editor can make the changes they need to keep your voice consistent.
- Assign subject matter experts and senior leaders as blog content ‘authors’, lending their thought leadership and expertise to your content’s credibility (and vice versa).
- With every blog article automatically optimised for mobile, you can rest easy knowing that your content (and the voice it carries) will be formatted and read as intended.
The importance of content in digital marketing
Leveraging the HubSpot tools referenced above, we worked with VFE to create a consistent posting schedule using their senior leadership team’s personal LinkedIn accounts. Over time, this communication channel built on their already established personal brands by aligning VFE’s leaders with the expertise and thought leadership expressed through the social media posts and blog content.
- The tactic helped to establish VFE’s industry authority.
- It communicated the company’s brand values.
- The consistent output of authoritative, personal content built customer — and investor — trust.
“Over the last 12 months, Tom has worked very closely with the VFE management team to create a personal and unique voice, for the team as individuals and collectively for our business.” David Byrne, CEO, VFE
The £9.9m new business pipeline and £4.8m in sales over a six-month period looked good, but so did the stories shared across its blog and social media channels: of the partnerships VFE had built with globally recognised heat treatment equipment suppliers, of the way its products were helping manufacturers to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, even how VFE had adapted its own operations to help its customers through the challenging times.
We are the sum of our experiences and the words used to share them. So write confidently. Tell your customers’ stories. Show your industry what your company has to offer. Your prospects and customers are listening, ears to the ground, and if your voice isn’t there to meet them, you’d better believe your competitors’ will be. How silent is your business?
To find out more about HubSpot and how we can help you to unlock its potential, get in touch today.
