Content Marketing has become a big buzzword in 2013, but it isn’t going away anytime soon. Any successful online marketing strategy is based on the concept of content marketing.
Even though there has been a steady rise in marketing budgets for content development and distribution, few know exactly what the term means.
So what does it mean? Here are a few definitions:
Content Marketing Institute’s definition:
“Content marketing is the technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
Copyblogger’s definition:
“Content Marketing means creating and sharing valuable content to attract and convert prospects into customers, and customers into repeat buyers….you are educating people so that they know, like, and trust you enough to do business with you.”
Simply put, content marketing is about sharing your insights, knowledge and expertise with your target prospects and customers so they can make informed buying decisions. Content is the currency of an educational-based approach to marketing. It’s about sharing your best advice with prospects so they view you as an industry leader. It’s about maintaining a value- based relationship with customers to optimize retention rates and repeat business. The main goals of your content marketing efforts should be to increase your authority, credibility, and customer loyalty.
Traditional marketing communication, which is normally “sales driven”, does not have the effect on consumers it once did. Prospects and customers want to be educated, not sold. Businesses must create timely content that attracts and informs.
More than ever, prospects are basing their buying decisions on online research and resources. This requires a commitment to sharing relevant content and engaging with your target audiences online. A successful content marketing strategy is predicated on developing a sound online marketing infrastructure (tools, technologies, processes).
Examples of content marketing formats include:
- Articles, blog posts
- Social media
- Email newsletters
- Case studies
- White papers
- Videos
- Webinars, podcasts
- Data visualization, infographics
Your prospects and customers are seeking education-based content to make informed decisions—and you want to make sure it is your business that provides it. Making the right content available at the right time and in the right format will ultimately improve your visibility and credibility; pre-cursors to increased leads and close rates.
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