Why good content marketing is like compound interest
Compound interest is an amazing phenomenon. Albert Einstein is credited with the oft repeated saying, “compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world”.
Renowned investor Warren Buffett likens compound interest to a snowball. It starts small, but gains size and momentum as it rolls, becoming larger and faster with every turn.
Content marketing works in much the same way. And done well, it also delivers amazing returns with small, but consistent, effort.
Start small and watch it grow
Just as consistently investing a little money can help you accumulate substantial wealth over time, regularly creating and sharing valuable content helps you build visibility, authority, trust and long-term brand equity. These are critical to ensuring you stay top of mind with prospects during long purchase cycles and to ensure you are on their mental shortlist once they become active category buyers.
Get into the habit of creating, publishing and posting but avoid the temptation of spending too much time looking at your views, likes and shares. Just like watching your investments fluctuate day to day, focusing too much on your metrics, especially in the early days, can be disheartening and may cause you to doubt what you are doing and why you are doing it.
It won‘t happen overnight, but it will happen
If you trust the process, it won’t let you down. What looked like modest return on effort initially can really make an impact over time. Search engines start to take notice, you become familiar to your target audience, and the reputation of you and your brand grows.
Over time, this is borne out in the numbers. Increased website traffic, higher engagement and more qualified leads.
Best of all, the work you put in to creating evergreen content can continue to pay off for years to come. This is the real value of compounding when it comes to content – the early investments you made can continue to earn you attention long after they were published.
Make investing a habit
The keys to enjoying the benefits of compounding are patience and discipline. With money, a small amount invested each week adds up over time. But it is crucial to invest regularly. Every single week.
It’s the same with content. You need to build the habit of creating and publishing and stick to it. Missed deadlines and sporadic publishing will slow your momentum and reduce your impact in the long run.
Don’t look for overnight success but work towards building a solid foundation that delivers lasting value. Content marketing is like sensible investing in that it isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Think of it as a less risky, get rich slow scheme.
And if you need help implementing a reliably consistent content plan, we’re here for you.