As search engines continue to alter their algorithms , so they can provide users with the best and most relevant content on the internet, the importance of content marketing is being pushed to the forefront. However, content marketing can be quite overwhelming when first diving in, so it is important to understand the influence that content has on customers and the core components.

Content+, a online marketing agency in the UK, created a captivating infographic to explain the importance and structure of content marketing.

Below are my favorite take-aways from the The Anatomy of Content Marketing – The Heart of Online Success infographic:

Buzz Marketing – Word of Mouth

50% of purchases are made based on word of mouth
Customers are more likely to follow a brand on social media (i.e. Facebook or Twitter) if they post about interesting topics, and about 60% of Twitter and Facebook users will recommend brands they follow to friends.
In addition, followers on Facebook and Twitter are more likely to purchase a product from a company they follow than a competitor. (racking up the sales with social media!)

Increasing Content Visibility

Companies who have a blog on their site, receive on average 55% more visitors. This increase in visits is often due to the fact that Google ranks sites who add new and unique content on a regular basis higher in search results than sites that don’t update their content regularly. In addition, having a blog increases the number of pages and links that Google can indexes. The more pages and links a site has, the greater probability it will appear in favorable position within search results. BUT, don’t be a content spammer, such as creating lots of pages with irrelevant content and unrelated links. Doing these things will hurt, not help, your rankings.

Building a Solid Relationship

Blogs are also a great tool to draw customers to your website with a topic that already interests them. Customers have a more positive relationship with companies that they can “get to know” via blogs compared to traditional advertisements. In turn, when customers have a positive relationship with a company they are more likely to purchase products from them, recommend the company to friends, and “share” positive information about the company on social media sites.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about the importance of creating high quality content.