Time keeps changing. It is only the ignorant who will want to do business the way it used to be done before. Zig Ziglar says ‘to do a thing the way it used to be done and expect different result is the definition of insanity’. This can not be truer today than ever before. We now live in an ever dynamic world where individuals, brands need to keep phase with the trend except if the brand wants to become oblivion. Generating new business, customers, and revenues will sustain any brand today and tomorrow.

The old ways of generating new business is losing its grip. The customers’ disposition is changing fast. New brand’s business development strategies are evolving. It is quite necessary for brand to understand this new trend as fast as possible so that it can incorporate such in its plan. Sharing or giving away free expertise makes a brand to gain-top- of- mind status when buying decision is to be made. A professional photographer who lives in Britain shared with me over the weekend his word of mouth marketing, crusade for a particular company who periodically sent him useful information about how to use his Camera as well as other related softwares that enhance his business effectiveness.

According to him, he has not bought anything substantial from the company himself but he has introduced several high net worth individuals who needed the services of the company. What this translates to for me is that when a brand takes the initiative and invests time in helping potential and customers with quality content or intellectual capital, it has initiated a great strategy in developing new business opportunities for itself. The new business development strategy is to educate your target customers on the broader problems that will or may affect them instead of just selling to them.

Brand must realize that customers’ expectation is now driving the trend. The aftermath of relatively cheap access to internet where buyers are now asking questions and relating may have be the cause of this. A certain amount of free is not just a basic necessity but compulsory in brand business development today. Quality free, helpful content will help buyers in making buying decision that favors a brand in today’s complex world.

A thought leadership that demonstrates brand’s expertise, willingness to help solve clients’ problem without attached strings will bring untold referrals in no distance future. As we know, referrals reduces cost on advertising, marketing. In closing using this method to develop new business requires that the content is practical and easy to use without a lot of complicated processes.

It must be clearr enough for any dummy to use, be highly relevant to a particular problem and be valid enough for anyone to prove its efficacy. My question today is what is your brand doing in this regard? Is your brand stuck to the old ways or is considering this new edge in business development?

The marketing plateau is changing. The marketing war zone is also changing. The last two decades have witnessed such a tremendous change that every professional in the field of Marketing, Branding, Public relations has to relearn what they were taught in school. Buyers, clients have turned  the internet to another market place where they make enquiries. Internet now encourages dialogue, feedbacks. The search engine has turned people into independent product and services researchers. They do also consult their friends, associates before making buying decision. It is obvious therefore  that any brand that helps the buyer make decision in their favor will earn more credits than the one that stands aloof, waiting for a call that may never come to them.

The above has necessitated the birth of content marketing as a way to educate, entertain, court the attention of buyers to brand’s services and products. It appears to me that every new buzzword always attracts attention of both the qualified and quacks. Doing it well is now a major concern for many brands as they are now faced with several acclaimed consultants who know nothing to jack about it.  Great content marketing and management offers several opportunities to brand who have qualified hands to do it well. Content can be used to educate potential industry consumers, provide possible solutions or choices available to clients, exposing sound practices and to initiate a process in relationship building. Content marketing helps the customers start a relationship with you before they eventually decide to buy from you.

As good as this may sound, delivering great content is not a joke. No one brings the gift from heaven, they are learnt.The basic ingredient is passion.This should be helped with great creative writing skill to make a great headway. Content marketing has been defined as the art of understanding exactly what your target want to know and delivering that to them in a relevant and compelling way to grow business. The content must only be relevant but must be compelling to sustain attention. Great content establishes the brand a resource centre, guide in buying decision. When a brand can successfully do this, it credibility and chances in the market will skyrocket than those who wait for something to happen.  Great, relevant and compelling contents that adequately informed the buyer will make the brand to first position in the minds of the prospective and real buyers.

One of the best ways to increase visibility, awareness, relevance and gain more market in this recession is to give away free, reliable information that can assist potentials to buy from your brand is through content marketing. Before you ask them to buy, be a source of helpful information without an attached string. It positions your brand as a thought leader, caring and proactive. In conclusion for now, remember that with great content and no promotion, you will remain in darkness. Adequate content promotion through right channel is important. But the content must offer value, solution to make required effect.

In recent chart with one corporate employee whose brands is into manufacturing, he said he wonders why his boss pay more for employees that bring in new business from clients- especially those that are not previous clients. I answered will you appreciate your car that helps you achieve greater result or the car that usually gives you problem on the road. Given opportunity would not sell off the later car and retain the one that makes life easy. Come to think about it, clients are the oil that keeps the wheel of business going. In an earlier post we have identified four ways to generate new brand’s business, in this follow up, we will complete the series.

1. Perception: Like we have maintained, brand is 100% perception. With strong perception in the market, brand can generate new business based on the popular positive perception because of perceived value they may bring for hiring them.

2. Keep selling great ideas: another ways that can help brand generates new business today is for the brand to keep selling great ideas that may not have direct benefits to the brands but which can help the client get out of trouble or make their operations become much effective. Keep sending great white papers, articles of new discoveries that can help your client, meet with them to share your opinion on how they can do their business much better. Keep selling new ideas that may not be connected to your brands as well as given clients new ideas that can guarantee returns for them. Remember that inside every idea is a business for many brands. Your brand will be considered for any service that the idea requires. Remember ideas are the currency that allow you both to grow- Robert Merrit

3. Create your opportunities: Do some gigs for free. It will not hurt your brand. Help a client out without a fee sometimes. Help out some start ups with advice, information or research data that will enhance their jobs. This will pay someday.

4. Develop strategic partnership: Developing strategic partnership with other brands that are not directly doing the same kind of business with yours but who sometimes encounter clients who need your brand services can also help your brand generate new business. How many of these are my using? I am working all for now

Guess these are enough for now, is there any one with other points, please share your opinion and use the comment section.