Content marketing is a type of marketing that has roots going back more than 100 years. So, we can safely say it’s a tested approach that works for a lot of businesses.
First, a definition
Let’s start with a definition from the Forbes magazine web site:
“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
To make this definition more concrete, let’s consider a familiar example: Food companies often take advantage of content marketing. For instance, a pasta company might run an ad with a recipe for Pesto Pasta with Chicken. Of course, the recipe includes a box of the advertiser’s pasta as a key ingredient.
But instead of 100 percent pasta promotion, the advertiser is delivering content that is genuinely useful to a potential customer. Of course, content marketing is in no way limited to food companies. For instance, a bank might publish an article about choosing a home mortgage. And an insurance company may write a guide on whether to opt for term or whole life.
What’s in it for your company?
Now let’s look at a few of the benefits of content marketing.
• Higher search ranking – Content marketing helps your web site rank higher in search engine results. Posting quality content on a regular basis indicates a strong business that deserves to be visible for relevant search terms.
• More web site visitors – A better search result is going to lead to an increase in
traffic. And more traffic gives you a larger number of prospects who might be
turned into customers.
• Greater brand loyalty – If your content is appealing, you’ll find that your customers exhibit more brand loyalty. Going back to the pasta example, if family members refill their plates, that recipe—and that brand of pasta—are likely to be served again and again.
• Sales people can focus on selling – If you’re selling a complex product or service,
content can go a long way toward educating your prospects. Sales people can spend more time selling, and less on education.
In short, there are many good business reasons to develop and maintain a content marketing program.
Leveraging the Law of Reciprocity
Perhaps you’re familiar with Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, the best seller by social scientist Robert Cialdini. This book includes a fascinating discussion about the Law of Reciprocity. The idea behind this law of human behavior is that when someone does something nice for you, you’ll have a strong urge to return the favor. In fact, you may even respond with a gesture that is far more valuable than the original.
If you reflect on this dynamic, we think you’ll agree content marketing is all about leveraging this law of persuasion. A marketer gives a potential customer a (typically small) gift and the customer feels obliged to reciprocate by, for instance, making a purchase.
Many new ways to deliver content
Once upon a time, the main way for companies to reach potential customers was through print media. (Click this link far an entertaining article about the history of content marketing.)
Today, content might take the shape of an advertisement, advertorial, blog post, book, email, infographic, newsletter, podcast, presentation, video, webinar or white paper.
Content marketing has really taken off in the internet age in large part because digital distribution is so inexpensive. In addition, there are many engaging platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, et cetera.
Further reading
If you'd like to learn more, we suggest two books that can give you a deeper understanding and help you establish a content marketing program. Check out Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Master Content Marketing by Pamela Wilson. Either one can help you can strengthen your company’s content marketing efforts.