Content marketing involves the strategic creation and distribution of original content to attract a defined audience, with the end goal of turning that audience into customers. This content should educate, inform, entertain or guide the users. Examples of content marketing include:
- An Instagram campaign based around a specific hashtag
- A free and informative travel blog that is funded by an airline
- A paid post that is published on a popular website
- A trade industry magazine that is funded by a manufacturing company
Whereas traditional marketing seeks to directly convey its message to potential customers, content marketing provides useful information or entertainment to attract consumers to the company (i.e., its social media pages, website or blog). By offering free content, the organization aims to build a loyal following of individuals who can be transitioned into paying customers at a later time.
Content marketing has become so pervasive that marketing gurus like Seth Godin claim content marketing is the “only marketing left.”
Why Is Content Marketing Important?
Consumer attention is increasingly fleeting, thanks to the ever-growing array of podcasts, YouTube channels and social media, not to mention more traditional media. Content marketing is uniquely suited to build consumer loyalty. While traditional ads have a one-off effect with customers, quality content leads potential customers to come back frequently. The company becomes an authority on the subject of their content — if the content is done well. This form of marketing also allows businesses to actively educate and inform consumers.
Companies that can create and distribute quality content gain:
- Increased brand awareness
- Higher organic SEO rankings
- Improved business leads
- Increased return on marketing investment
- Increased occurrence of repeat customers
Unlike traditional ads, consumers are more likely to voluntarily share original content. Facebook’s highly sharable format, for example, makes publishing articles particularly advantageous for any marketing-savvy business.
5 Content Marketing Trends to Watch Out For
Content marketing is continually evolving. Several noteworthy trends are driving the efforts of forward-thinking marketing professionals:
Authenticity and transparency: Transparency is key for earning customer loyalty, and younger consumers often cite authenticity when making spending decisions. Employee testimonials, real-time updates of business practices, and public acknowledgment of missteps are all ways to demonstrate these important qualities to the general public.
Content personalization: Interactivity is key here. Quizzes and polls that provide instant feedback are two examples of how content can be personalized for consumers.
Cross-brand collaboration: Uber’s partnership with Pandora is one example of how multiple companies can collaborate to meet a larger audience than they normally could on their own.
Chatbots and AI: Chatbots — based on strong AI — are a great way to deliver quick answers to followers. As many as 40% of companies will employ chatbots by the end of 2019.
Micro-moments: Customers often want quick answers to their questions or a simple way to buy a product immediately. Marketers classify these fleeting moments into areas such as “I-want-to-know moments” or “I-want-to-buy moments.” The takeaway from this insight is to understand there is a time for long-format content, and there is a time for quick and easy answers.
Learn About Content Marketing with an Online MBA from NKU
Increase your content marketing acumen with an online MBA from NKU. The AACSB-accredited program includes multiple courses on marketing, each taught by NKU faculty, covering topics ranging from consumer behavior and insights to marketing strategy and marketing analytics. Students can complete the 100% online program in as few as 12 months.
Learn more about NKU’s online MBA program.
Sources:
Content Marketing Institute: What Is Content Marketing?
Core DNA: 10 Biggest Content Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2019
Pandora: Uber Partnership Overview
