Over the last five years, there’s been a lot of talk about Content Marketing, and as 2014 is fast approaching the actual implementation of this concept is gaining momentum with a greater consumer shift toward useful and convenient digital media. But even with all the buzz, do marketers really know what it means or, better yet, how to use it?
What we do know is that Content Marketing is becoming increasingly more important to your overall brand perception and online prowess. But we’ll back up for a second before we jump into the juicy parts.
1. GIVE ‘EM A TASTE
Most people dread reading long product descriptions and lists of specs, but enjoy learning the benefits as a user of the product. Content Marketing is just that, it breaks up all the complicated information to make your marketing more inviting and offers up a reason for using it. It could be interesting infographics, a behind the scenes video, social media teasers or educational information presented in a stylized eBook. Still confused? In a nutshell, consumers are used to (and tired of) the ol’ sales pitch. One that goes in for the kill without offering any relevant information for the buyer or, even worse, throwing in a bunch of fluff for filler. Content Marketing makes digesting all of that complex information all the more interesting. With this particular recipe, consumers will gain bite-sized pieces of goodness and not even realize they’re learning about your product.
2. THEY’LL EAT IT UP WITH A SPOON
According to Joe Pulizzi, contributer of contentmarketinginstitute.com, “Content Marketing is owning, as opposed to renting, media. It’s a marketing process to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating content in order to change or enhance a consumer behavior.” What’s so unique about featuring your own content is that it engages the audience more, offering them a “Why they should buy” not just the message to “Come buy our stuff because our company is really cool.” It invites your customer in to take a closer look at the ingredients of your product if you will. Content Marketing is simply a more entertaining way to get people excited about reading and understanding your information. Even if it’s just learning about where to buy the juiciest turkey for the Holidays. It’s the excitement leading up to the content feast that makes it all worthwhile.
3. TWO VERY DIFFERENT BIRDS
So with all of that information, how does the actual content get created and get to the right place? Well, there’s Content Marketing and then there’s Content Strategy. Two very different specialties. People find information more quickly today with smartphones, tablets and wireless at their leisure. So your brand has to show up where they are. With Strategy you have the actual process or planning out of the content and where it should be distributed best – this involves the definition of the market, the people who will read it and where they will be in the best position to see it. Content Marketing is the actual art of creating the blog posts, white papers or eBooks, and ensuring they are branded for the user of the messages. It’s more focused on publishing the tangible pieces that make up the big picture. A well thought out Content Strategy will lead your Content Marketing to build your brand, reach your audience and meet your business goals.
4. RUFFLING A FEW FEATHERS
You see, marketing is no longer simply sending a direct mail coupon and hoping people come running to your door for a deal. Content Marketing is about all of your marketing efforts combined.
Let’s say you have a new product ready to launch. You could use Content Marketing to spur education and excitement. You start by interviewing the inventor of the product and tease the story on your social media outlets, then right before the launch date you send an eNews campaign with that same story as the main article. So when you’re ready to send that traditional marketing piece, like your direct mail coupon, the buyer is already interested. There’s an engaged audience waiting for your next message. You have built up a following. It’s the delivery method that makes it more inviting, which helps enhance the overall user experience regarding your brand.
5. SO, SKIP THE SOCIAL HOUR?
It all sounds a lot like social media marketing, right? Close, but while posting funny “stuff” or sending out a call-in-and-win Facebook post will gain immediate and direct contact with your current followers, the move toward Content Marketing is to increase your brand leverage for digital staying power. So, I’m not saying forget the social media marketing. It’s simply one smaller piece of the Content Marketing pie. Social media uses relevant content in smaller snapshots to gain direct brand attention. Content Marketing functions at a higher level, producing much higher-quality, longer format content to build brands and audiences for their own websites. This inspires your company or brand to become a publisher and thus the owner of the content, driving consumers to your site to convert them into sales opportunities.
PUT IT ALL OUT ON THE TABLE
The great thing about Content Marketing is you are giving users an experience, one that is informative but also helps them understand how to achieve their goals or how to use your product better. Create the content your users want to know about and offer them simple DIY tasks or the “stuffing” that will bring them back for the more tasty tips to come. Then, get them to sit down for a full feast of delicious content, and they may just buy the entire table full of what your brand has to offer. Placing the user experience higher on your marketing shopping list will help you build more powerful results in the upcoming year. Now, that’s marketing you can really sink your teeth into.