Content marketing is a hot term in the marketing world right now. Although it isn’t a new invention, it’s a new way of looking at marketing strategy as a whole. It’s the act of educating your target audience via valuable content: ebooks, infographics, blogs, survey results, video, podcasts. The goal is that your audience will appreciate your content and will eventually reward you with their business – because you have proven yourself as an expert on alleviating their pain.
Advertising tactics in the past were very “in your face” and repetitive. Today advertising tactics are about educating and persuading through words.
Content marketing doesn’t involve re-creating the wheel. Honestly, the only thing content marketing does is bring branding and marketing back to its core: consistency, differentiation, and customer focus.
The goal is creating content that your target audience will appreciate and putting it out consistently so that your audience can eagerly anticipate it. Differentiation is achieved through the quality of the content. The more your audience earnestly waits for your next segment of content, the more you will set yourself apart from your competitors.
Can you imagine someone actually looking forward to your next blog post before you’ve even written it?
It’s a different way of engaging your customer base. Is an ad really still an ad now? Or, is it content marketing? It’s probably both. If it hits a nerve and makes people think, then it’s content marketing. If it doesn’t, then it’s just advertising.
Content marketing won’t be the death of advertising. The lines are simply going to continue to blur.
There are countless ways to distribute your content. Blogs, videos, movies, magazines, podcasts, e-books, infographics, and whitepapers are all ways to get it out, and there’s more channels being created all the time. As long as what you are giving away is free, valuable, and specifically focused on your audience, then the method is up to you.
Most companies utilize multiple methods because not every person learns in the same way. Some prefer infographics while others may just want to listen to a podcast on the way to work. Finding the right mix involves devising a marketing strategy that is intelligent and reactive – cue content management. If something doesn’t work, try it via another channel.
One thing is certain – managing and producing quality content is the future of marketing. An educated consumer is a better consumer.
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Conveyance Marketing Group is a team of bright, innovative and talented veteran marketers dedicated to big ideas, fresh insights and measurable results. We pride ourselves on taking challenging marketing issues and turning them into opportunities for our clients, on pointing brands in the right direction, and on getting our customers noticed both online and off. From branding to websites to digital marketing, and public relations, we handle all your marketing communication needs! Web Design and Development | Brand Strategy | Inbound Marketing | Social Media | SEO | PR