Did you know that corporate websites are in danger of dying out? 
Customers are bored with the bog-standard ‘About Us’, ‘Our Services’ and ‘Latest News’ pages.
- Nearly 70% of Fortune 100 corporate websites experienced declines in traffic, with an average drop of 23% (Webtrends)
- 90% of website traffic comes from just 10% of the content, and more than 50% of the traffic is from just 0.5% of the content (InboundWriter)
- 60-70% of B2B marketing content goes unused (Sirius Decision)
- 60% of the buyer journey is complete before prospects reach out to vendors (CEB)
Why is this happening?
People don’t give a toss about your company news; they want stuff that’s useful to them; top tips, how-to videos, human-interest stories.
Yes, shock horror, they want to interact with real people.
Bringing the human touch to corporate websites
None of this should be too shocking to you, considering the explosion in social media.
Your brand image is vital. And no, your brand isn’t your colour palette and logo; it’s your social interaction with your customers.
More and more companies are moving away from ‘traditional’ website marketing to social media engagement. Their products and services are being translated into stories that can be shared across numerous channels.
Rather than engaging through contact forms, they’re interacting in real-time conversations with their customers through Twitter, Facebook and other social channels.
A corporate website that knows its onions
Take a look at Coca-Cola.
In 2012, it re-launched its website under the tagline “The Coca-Cola Journey. Refreshing The World, One Story At A Time”, featuring content driven by its “Unbottled” blog.
Its content became its main product.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a B2B or a B2C company; content and storytelling must be the cornerstone of your marketing strategy. Relationships that last are built through education. By offering helpful information, you give your readers value (whether they’ve bought from you or not), which builds trust.
The way forward
How do you reap these rewards?
Doing a “coke” is a brave move and perhaps one you’re not ready for. But you can move in the right direction by adding content regularly to your website.
An active blog offering great advice, human-interest stories and helpful information will draw people to you. I’m not talking about posting once in a blue moon when you have a few minutes; it must be done regularly to be a success.
Think of your blog as a digital magazine – offer a mix of content that will appeal to your audience. You’re its editor, so it’s up to you to make it work.
Of course, generating a constant supply of on-brand content is no easy task, so many corporations strengthen their marketing teams by hiring a professional copywriter to work with them. The process is easy; a content calendar is developed and then passed on to the writer, who makes sure the content is delivered on time. I am currently doing this for several clients, ranging from banks and logistics companies to insurance and green energy producers.
Sally Ormond, professional copywriter and article writer extraordinaire.