It’s often said that perception is reality. When it comes to your company’s brand identity, that advice is truer today than ever before.
The modern consumer is well-informed and has many choices when it comes to the products and services they use. As a result, they can be highly selective about the kinds of customer experiences they want to participate in.
That means your company needs to do everything it can to convince consumers the experience you offer is the right one for them.
Emotions Influence Consumer Behaviour
We’ve written before on how consumers are greatly influenced by their feelings and emotions when it comes to choosing which businesses they engage with.
In short, how your brand is perceived, and the relationship consumers have with your business, is one of the biggest factors in your success.
The impact emotion has on a buyer’s decision-making journey is so strong that it easily overwhelms other, more rational factors, such as product information or the details of your service.
What that means is you need to give your customers a reason to care about your company. The necessity of establishing an emotional link between consumers and your brand is what makes content marketing such an important part of your company’s ability to generate sales leads.
Using Content to Influence Brand Perception
The consumer perception of your company’s brand is comprised of many things. One factor is the visual identity of your brand — in other words, how key messages and feelings are communicated on a visual level.
Just as important, however, are the things your company says and the way it says them.
The most successful businesses recognise that how their messages are communicated is fundamental to designing an experience that customers are keen to take part in. Remember, it’s that journey which creates an emotional link between your company and consumers — the essence of your brand’s identity.
Show You Understand Your Customer
It’s difficult for consumers to connect with your company’s brand if they feel like you don’t have a sound understanding of their problems.
When backed by comprehensive market research, content is the most effective way of showing that you understand your customer’s wants and needs. By regularly releasing content that helps consumers solve their problems and provides them with valuable insights, you can start to build the trust needed to influence their decision-making process.
Offer Something of Value Right Away
In order to form an effective relationship with consumers, you need to provide something of value before you ask for anything in return.
Content marketing that draws upon the expertise of your company is an excellent way to provide consumers with something of value as soon as they discover you.
Sharing insights and helping consumers solve their problems through valuable content will ensure your relationship starts off on the right foot.
The benefit of this approach is that customers will begin to see you as an industry authority and a go-to resource for solving their problems. This is the kind of top-of-mind awareness that will have customers choosing you over the competition when making a purchase decision.
Give Your Existing Customers Confidence
Content marketing doesn’t just influence the perception of new customers. Rather, content can also address your existing customers, reassuring them that they made the right choice and ensuring that they remain loyal customers well into the future.
Customer service expectations in 2019 are higher than they have ever been, and consumers have a great deal of choice. That’s why your company needs to use every available opportunity to demonstrate exactly why consumers should pick you over somebody else.
Using content to create a positive perception of your brand and build trust with consumers is one of the best methods of achieving this goal. Find out how you can get started by speaking with the team at Prize Content.
