While customers these days use the Internet to shop, learn about the products they wish to purchase, and review those products, businesses use it as an incredible opportunity to sell and, of course, advertise. Technology allows them to use new marketing techniques and to develop unique, fresh, and new strategies in order to catch the eye of a passerby user.
Content Marketing Definition
Content marketing is a unique, highly strategical, and relatively new marketing method that can be used by any business, small or large. It implies creating and distributing the relevant, informatory, consistent, and valuable content with an aim to attract and appeal to the potential customers. Content marketing does not concentrate mainly on making a sale right away and right there. This method of marketing is more focused on informing the customers and capturing their interest.
Because modern-day resources and technologies allow us to spread the info as fast as we need to, content marketing may seem like a simple, easy tactic that doesn’t require too much effort and may be implemented in no time. However, it is more complex than that. Content marketing requires businesses to compose and to post only the relevant, thoroughly planned content for a specific, proper audience at the most proper time. It involves numerous distribution channels, each of which requires a specific strategy to be developed. Moreover, each content marketing technique and process requires a business to study carefully its target audience before actually starting to distribute the info.
Purpose of Content Marketing
When trying to define content marketing, it is crucial to understand its key purposes. It is important to comprehend that selling is not a number one purpose of content marketing. This technique works better on establishing a trustful relationship with the customer (which consequently leads to making sales).
Another purpose of an effective content marketing is informing the potential customers. When a business offers a properly prepared, well-written and well-organized content, which has a great informative quality to it, customers get all the needed info that can help them reach a fully informed decision and make a purchase.
Making customers aware of a business’s brand and building its positive image are content marketing purposes too. Distributing high-quality content allows more potential customers to find out about a business, thus making it more recognizable. Moreover, through content marketing, a business may establish a strong, trust-based relationship with the customer, since a well-composed content helps businesses create a positive image of their brand.
Finally, one of the major content marketing purposes is attracting (and keeping) clients. Regular posts, helpful information about products or services, and other pieces of content may help a business achieve this goal. However, methods and techniques applied will depend on the content marketing type.
Types of Content Marketing
The number of content marketing types is quite extensive. However, there are types of content that seem to be used more prevalently than the others:
- Blogging. Each blog that is linked to a certain business can help potential customers familiarize themselves with the product and the brand more.
- Social media posts. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with the customers in social networks.
- Guest posts. Publishing blogs on someone else’s webpages is an effective way to spread the word about your business.
- eBooks. Downloadable, free eBooks allow businesses to share helpful info with the customers.
- Images. They can get numerous shares and make potential customers aware of your brand.
- Videos. This type of visual content is targeted at customers who prefer watching rather than reading.
- Podcasts. Another content type for people who enjoy listening to something on the go instead of reading.
- Emailing. Newsletters, even though sometimes considered as an outdated technique, are still undoubtedly effective.
Content Marketing Examples
The following examples can turn into effective content marketing tips for any business:
- LinkedIn free eBook, which offers quality content to educate and inform marketers of all levels.
- “How It Is Made” series by Lush, where the company reveals and describes transparently the process of creating their products.
- Birchbox’s online magazine, where customers can enjoy regular articles that contain various tutorials, how-to’s, DIY’s, etc.
- Home Depot infographics, where they inform the customers on how to grow vegetables, tell what supplies are necessary, and share some insightful statistics.
- Michael’s blogs, in which customers are able to find tons of helpful info, relevant to almost any lifestyle.
- Extra’s interactive website, which allows customers to upload their photos and turns them into sketches.
Content marketing is a complex system of various techniques, which are able to bring any business closer to the customer. This marketing method serves to inform and to attract rather than to sell. Therefore, it is more suitable for establishing long-lasting relations with the potential customers and ensuring more purchases that are regular.