What is Content Marketing and How Can it Help My Brand?

If you are new to the world of marketing then the idea of content marketing is likely even newer still. So, if this idea is entirely alien to you then we need to start with the most basic question: what is content marketing? 

Content marketing is simply marketing that is oriented toward the consumer. With the rise of the internet came an increase in the availability of information. This has put the consumer in a prime position when it comes to the purchasing of goods. When a consumer is interested in a certain kind of product or service, she can spend as much time as she pleases researching information about the product or service and the different companies that provide it. Content marketing then is an approach to marketing that provides useful content that is informative and engaging. Since your potential costumer is already scouring the internet for useful information, a good content marketing strategy will put your brand at the forefront due to the high quality and informative information you put out there. So now that you have a better understanding of what content marketing is, let's take a look at what benefits can come from this approach to marketing. 

Brand Awareness

If you are consistently putting out quality content then your product will stay at the forefront of people's attention as they do their research on the product you specialize in. Your brand will even become a thought leader in your area of specialty as you continue to engage in topics that interest consumers. 

Increased Reach

If you continue to create useful content and become established as a thought leader, your audience will continue to grow. If you go on the assumption that most consumers do their research prior to purchasing then building up a collection of valuable resources will over time begin to reach more and more potential clients. 

Now, all this is well and good but if you are a business interested in marketing your brand, it is not enough to just understand a concept, you need a plan in order to execute it. So then, how does one formulate a strategy for content marking?

Content Marketing Strategy

The first thing you need to figure out when it comes to your content marketing strategy is your identity. You need to decide who you are and what your brand is trying to communicate. Good content is purposeful and precise. Knowing what you want to accomplish beforehand means you won't be wasting your time putting out useless fluff. 

You also need to know your consumer. Since content marketing is consumer driven, you need to think about what kind of content your potential clients want to see. Create a profile of your ideal client and base the content you produce off of that. 

B2B vs B2C Content Marketing

One thing we have not yet touched on regarding the topic of content marketing is business to business vs business to consumer. When a business is marketing to a consumer, the content marketing needs to be more emotionally driven. You want to create content that builds excitement and buzz around a product. On the other hand, when a business is marketing to another business, you need to create content that shows your knowledge in your field. Businesses want to buy from other businesses that they see are experts in their industry, they need to feel like they are making the most logical decision. Content marketing for businesses is much more based on logic, facts and figures. 

If you are interested in the subject of content marketing and want to know more, Triad Design Group can help you get started. Please contact us with any questions.