The Value Add-On

A previous article on value pushed our site’s word limit boundaries (smashed right through them, really) and was thus cut down by our great and esteemed Lord Commander editor. As such, I now get to do an additional article with a punny title (I 💖 puns – no apologies), so here we have your ‘Value Add-On’ (get it?)

One more way to provide value to your clients is to offer valuable content. This expands on the idea of ‘educating your customer’, where you add value by enlightening them.

Especially (but not only) if you operate within an industry that involves technical/‘brainy’ or emotional elements, offering content that breaks things down and helps your customers to better grasp the subject is a great way to add value and get further brand buy-in.

To illustrate, I’ll use an example from one of my businesses, Dossier Maternity, which sells trendy maternity clothing for fashionable moms-to-be:

We could stop at just selling clothing – our core offering – but pregnancy can be an emotional rollercoaster where women go through many highs and lows, including a variety of concerns about themselves, their baby and the future.

To help expectant mothers get through this period a little easier, cope a little better and know they aren’t alone in having these feelings/thoughts, we produce short, insightful pieces on subjects like: morning sickness relief, dealing with Postpartum Depression, first-time pregnancy tips and many more.

How do we select our topics?  We research (including by talking with moms-to-be) the common fears, concerns, anxieties, etc. experienced during pregnancy and then develop content using our own or others’ expertise. Any business can do the same by researching or investigating ways to address your customers’ unspoken needs or concerns, and in doing so, be of value to them.

What’s the value of all this?
It’s really a win-win! The ‘win’ for our customers is the invaluable information we provide them at this crucial moment in their lives – more than just a clothing source, they see us as a useful overall resource. The ‘win’ on our side is that our customers come to have a perception of our brand (brand perception) as caring, thoughtful, knowledgeable and ‘holistic’ in addition to the usual ‘trendy/fashionable/stylish’ etc. that any brand selling maternity clothing could claim.

In taking the time to create this additional content/value, we gain a competitive advantage. What business wouldn’t want that?

For more on why and how to create your own value-based content, be sure to check out the following:
Some useful ideas on creating value in your content marketing
Why content marketing brings value to your business
How to create value-based content marketing