Content marketing as an effective component of business promotion

Abstract

The concept of a customer-centric business and the integration of digitalization strategies into company operations necessitate the creation of content that fulfills the objectives of both consumers and business owners. Moreover, stakeholders aim to reduce costs and enhance competitiveness. The primary objective of this article is to examine the significance of content marketing in business promotion. This will be achieved through an analysis of content marketing strategies employed by systemically important banks in Ukraine, encompassing various aspects such as strategies, approaches, techniques, and communication tools. Additionally, the effectiveness of these strategies will be quantitatively assessed. Methodology. The study employs a comprehensive systematic approach to analyze the content marketing strategies implemented by systemically important banks in Ukraine. This analysis is based on various methods for assessing the nature of content platforms, strategies, and approaches to content. Additionally, it considers elements related to content formation and development, internal components, the communication element, and the outcomes resulting from the implementation of these strategies. To quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of content marketing in promoting businesses, this article utilizes SimilarWeb analytics tools. Specifically, Website Performance, Engagement, Channel overview, and Social traffic metrics are employed for this purpose. The findings reveal the integration of content marketing strategies employed by systemically important banks in Ukraine, aligning with business digitalization strategies that encompass the advancement of digital service models. The principal objectives of these bank strategies encompass the following aspects: 1. Automation of service processes and enhancement of customer self-service capabilities. 2. Reduction of operational costs associated with service provision. 3. Augmentation of product/brand/service awareness. 4. Decrease in the reliance on staff for service delivery. 5. Enhancement of operational efficiency. 6. Expansion of the customer base, fostering loyalty, satisfaction, and engagement. These goals represent key areas targeted by the banks' strategies, emphasizing the importance of content marketing in achieving them. The primary approaches employed for content development within the context of this study encompass structural and functional dimensions. Structural approaches involve organizing content based on customer segments and products, while functional approaches focus on categorizing content according to the functions of services, websites, and products. These approaches aim to create clear and transparent content that effectively conveys information about banking services. The production of content is aligned with the specific needs of target groups and segments of banking service consumers, taking into consideration their digital service requirements, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic. Content marketing serves as a pivotal component of the overall digital marketing strategy for facilitating online communication by banks. It plays a crucial role in ensuring Website Performance and Customer Engagement, with particular emphasis on leveraging content from social networks to generate and maintain website traffic.