The world of content marketing has changed significantly in the last 50 years, and even more so in the last ten. In order to fully grasp this new-world-order of marketing, it is necessary to have a foundation on what exactly the content marketing, in its current form, is all about.
Here is a brief overview of content marketing, its history, and what strategies and tools marketers are using to be successful.
Overview
This isn’t your grandfather’s marketing.
We now live in a digital world, and this evolutionary (and revolutionary) change has made a huge impact on the way marketers attract their target audience.
We now live in a digital world, and this evolutionary (and revolutionary) change has made a huge impact on the way marketers attract their target audience.
Content Marketing, in particular, has become the go-to strategy for B2B marketers – and it too has evolved. The challenge most marketers face in this new world is to be able to effectively distribute their content through these new digital channels, and measure their actual business value.
Content Marketing Objectives
Marketers, particularly (though not exclusively) B2B marketers, are using the strategy of Content Marketing for a variety of objectives. However, when it comes to B2B marketing there is only one ultimate objective: Lead Generation
Content Marketing Measurement
A recent study conducted by the B2B Technology Marketing Group found that, while the number one objective of Content Marketing was lead generation, the main metric that marketers look at is web traffic. Obviously, this indicates a disconnect between goals and metrics that must be addressed in order to have a successful content marketing strategy.
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Content Assets
1. Blogs
In the age of digital marketing, blogs are a Content Marketer’s most powerful weapon. A successful Content Marketer knows that a highly promotional blog post will not only not interest your target audience, it will make them view your company negatively. The key to a good blog strategy is all about providing value to your reader.
2. Case Studies
Many benefits can be reaped from creating a case study. While being overly self-promotional is a no-no when it comes to Content Marketing, highlighting how one of your customers benefited from using your product or service will effectively convey your value to the reader.
3. Webinars
Content, in the context of marketing, does not exclusively relate to written material. The modern marketer can choose from a wide variety of dynamic media content. Webinars are just one of the many none written types of content that can provide real value to your target market. Webinars are often gated and require the attendee to “sign-up” by inputting their information, making webinars a fantastic lead generation tool.
4. Podcasts
An audio element to your content marketing mix allows you to capture an audience that may not have time to sit down and watch a video or read an entire blog post. Having a regularly scheduled podcast with interesting guests in your field can help you attain thought-leadership status.
Infographics
65% of people are visual learners, meaning even the most well written piece of content might not be good enough for some people. A well-done infographic can tell the same story as a long, drawn out 1,000 word essay could. Many industry-related blogs are keen to include this type of visual content, and would be more inclined to cover your company if you provided them with an infographic.
Repurposing Content
Putting together a great piece of content, whether it be a blog post, case study, infographic, or podcast can be a lot of work. Content Marketers can maximize the benefits of their blood, sweat, and tears by repurposing this type of content. For example: a single webinar can be turned into multiple posts for your blog. Content repurposing is the key to a strong Content Marketing strategy.
Social Media
What is “Content”? Content can be a 2,000-word blog post, a 30-page white paper, but it can also be a 140-character tweet. The advent of social media as a marketing tool has also ushered in the area of Social Content Marketing. Social channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, even Pinterest and Instagram all have great potential for Content Marketers. But, the most effective social channel for a B2B marketer is LinkedIn, and mastering it is not as easy as it seems
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