Just What IS Content Marketing, Anyway?
If you’re on this website, you’ve undoubtedly seen the phrase “content marketing” more than once. Major companies across the globe have been extolling the wonders of content marketing at an increasing rate, sharing data to prove its effectiveness in comparison to more traditional methods. Virgin switched up their messaging with a new campaign to “change the game of music, travel, and entrepreneurship for good.” L’Oreal partnered up with Rolling Stone to produce the “Women Who Rock” series and subsequently found that their goal for reach and pageviews had been blown away. But just what is content marketing, anyway?
According to Content Marketing Institute, “content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience–and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” In a nutshell, content marketing involves sharing information where your ideal customer can find it, in hopes that he or she will appreciate its value and trust you as a thought leader in your specific industry, eventually turning to you for your trusted products and services.
In that sense, then, all marketing is content marketing when it comes down to it. Since the days of the shiny magazine inserts for Packard Cars and the early Heinz Beans commercials depicting a smiling family as mom put dinner on the table (in her apron and heels, no less), marketers have been appealing to their audience members by giving them what they like. Pretty women! Fast cars! Improved social status! All of these were intended to attract and distract readers and viewers from their regularly scheduled programs.
The question now is how the Age of Information has changed content marketing practices and methods. As consumers gain access to an infinite wealth of knowledge at the simple touch of a button, they’ve become more discerning about what they’ll believe, and more accustomed to instant gratification. In a world where two minutes of commercials is an unbearable amount of time to wait for a show to resume, content marketers must understand how to be in the right place, at the right time, with the information their readers crave.
Does this mean that every company needs to post a 1,000 word research paper on industry insights each week? Not at all. Content comes in many forms, from blogs to infographics, and from videos to memes. It’s up to you to decide which is the best medium to gain the followers your company needs.
If you’re getting ready to start your own digital marketing campaign but need help with the who, what, where, and why of it all, the Orlando content marketing experts at Elephant Ear are here for you. We’ll develop a targeted campaign that reaches your ideal audience members when and where they’re most likely to be receptive. To learn more or to receive your analysis, give us a call at (321) 537-2649 today.