Written by Content marketing is the latest digital marketing buzzword that’s been floating around for a few years. It’s an extension of content creation and curation, so a little more hands-on. Content marketing incorporates original content (blog posts, videos, podcasts, photos) into a central hub so it can be easily found by your audience again and again. This article will give you an overview of what content marketing is and how you can use it to grow your business.
What is content marketing?
In short, it’s the process of creating and distributing high-quality, engaging content to build your brand and attract new customers to your business. It’s about creating content that resonates with your audience and induces curiosity to explore your products and services further. For example, when you publish a blog post, you’re creating content. But when you distribute a piece of content through your email list, you’re executing content marketing. Let’s explore both content creation and distribution in more depth below.
Why is content marketing important?
Quite simply, people spend more time in the presence of content than in the presence of people. This holds true across all platforms, including traditional media like newspapers and televisions, and online platforms like social media and email. In fact, according to Statista, an astounding 85% of all internet usage occurs while users are on a device other than a computer/phone/tablet. This means you have a huge opportunity to direct your audience’s attention to your brand and products with the right type of content.
Best ways to execute a successful content marketing campaign
The key to creating a successful content marketing campaign is to keep it simple. You don’t need to create endless content that’s focused on every single product. Focus on creating content that addresses an important problem your audience faces, is relevant to them, and solves this problem for them. In addition, choose a format that’s compelling such as videos, images, or interactive content. This will keep your audience on your page longer, help them get interested in your brand and products and encourage them to check out your website or social media platforms.
Examples of Content Marketing in Action
Let’s explore some real-world examples of content marketing in action, and how they help the brands behind them grow their businesses. The first example is a popular personal finance blog, SmartAsset. They’re a blog focused on money education and tips for a better financial life. In order to grow their audience and attract more readers, they partnered with a popular personal finance social media site, Reddit, to create a crowdsourced collection of money-related content. This crowd-sourced content was then linked to their own blog posts, increasing the number of readers who find their work. In addition, they created personal finance content for Reddit’s “ask-me-anything” (AMA) subreddit, similar to the crowd-sourcing approach mentioned above.
Differences between Content Marketing and Other Forms of Marketing
While there’s some overlap between content marketing and traditional forms of marketing, there are some key differences worth highlighting: – Audience: Traditional forms of marketing are typically aimed at a target audience and are designed to drive people to a specific product. – Function: Both audience and function are different in content marketing. The audience is more focused on the why, while the function is more focused on the how. – Frequency: The frequency of traditional forms of marketing varies, while content marketing campaigns are created to drive traffic to specific content. – Budget: Traditional forms of marketing tend to be more expensive, but you can use content marketing to lower your marketing costs.
Conclusion
In summary, content marketing is the process of creating and distributing high-quality, engaging content to build your brand and attract new customers to your business. It’s about creating content that resonates with your audience and induces curiosity to explore your products and services further. Whether you’re creating blog posts, videos, images, or podcasts, make sure they’re relevant and help your audience solve problems or boost their lives. Choose a format that’s compelling and keep it simple. You don’t want your content to be overwhelming, but instead, keep the tone light and relatable. These are just a few ways you can use content marketing to grow your business. The most successful brands are finding their own ways to create content that resonates with their audience and converts them into customers.