What Is Content Marketing (And Why Should You Care)?

If you’ve spent any time discussing or researching marketing strategies for your business, you’ve probably stumbled upon the phrase “content marketing.” The name itself conveys some of its basic concept. But still, unless you are quite familiar with it, you might be asking, “what is content marketing?”

Our answer? It’s a game changer for businesses in almost any industry—especially small and regional ones.

But why? First, consider a little bit of background. Content marketing took off back in 1996, when John Oppedahl started using the term. It was likely a concept even before then—just not one defined by a clear name.

Of course, the age of the internet boosted content marketing’s relevancy. In more recent years, the rise of the influencer has also contributed to a boom for content marketing.

Today, this method is like a sophisticated ecosystem that does the work of prospecting for you. It is a tool for connecting with your audience, positioning yourself as an expert in your field, establishing a resource potential clients will return to, and making sales—practically before the reader even reaches out to you. To summarize, the ROI is fantastic.

That is especially true given the relatively low initial investment. Ad dollars being sucked away by publishing, billboard, and broadcasting fees? Not with content marketing … let’s dive in.

The Definition of Content Marketing

“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” -Content Marketing Institute

That quote is a sharp introduction, but we’ll break it down.

When we talk about content that attracts and retains a clearly defined audience, we’re talking about speaking to your ideal customer. The idea is that, through content marketing, you can begin to build a relationship of trust and appreciation that ingratiates them to you and your product or service.

How It Works

Imagine you are a purveyor of apples. You live in a beautiful valley where a few different local farmers maintain healthy orchards full of apples. But you know that yours are the best. They are organic, and you tend to them lovingly.

If you produce (pun intended) traditional ads showcasing why your apples are so great, you might get some interest. But nowadays, people are wary of feeling like they are always being advertised to. Plus, you might spend quite a lot of overhead getting that ad placed.

The alternative solution is content marketing. Now, you publish blog posts with apple-centric recipes, beautifully produced videos showing off the orchard during its best season, seminars explaining the importance of buying organic, and a social media series with funny historical quotes about apples. 

Before you know it, you’ve captivated an audience. You’ve made fans out of followers and found loyalty in baking devotees who served your decadent apple pie recipe.

When those same individuals want to buy some locally grown apples, where do you think they’ll turn? Probably to you. During their weekly grocery trip, when they say they’ll skip on the apples there because they anticipate seeing you at the farmers’ market that weekend, maybe someone nearby overhears and asks where the market is because they need to experience apples delicious enough for two trips. The thing is, it isn’t just that the apples are great. It’s about the loyalty that customer now has to you because of your offering and the personality of your brand. The content marketing positioned you as an expert in the growing of top-tier apples and a company with passion, values, and a sense of humor. People love you. So, they love your apples.

Of course, this is an overly simplified example. But it serves to showcase the beauty of content marketing in straightforward terms.

What Comprises Content Marketing?

As mentioned above, there are quite a few ways you can approach content marketing. Personally, as writers, we have a soft spot for a good long-form blog post. We know, we know, “who will take the time to read that?” is probably what you’re thinking. But guess what?

An impressive 77% of Internet users read blogs, and 61% of U.S. online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog.

It’s true: blogging can have a direct impact on the improvement of sales.

But other avenues for content marketing are also key. Podcasts continue to gain traction among a huge base of consumers. The ability to passively listen in while going about one’s day makes podcasts an effective way to capture more eyes (or ears, as it were).

Email newsletters, too, continue to prove a marketing powerhouse that businesses can utilize on the cheap—win, win! The same goes for social media. While it might cost you a pretty penny if you want to utilize influencers, the total cost still doesn’t touch that of traditional advertising methods. And the ROI can be better—both in volume and longevity.

What do we mean by longevity? To put it simply, when you build a social media presence that delights and engages followers, you can better create brand identity for those individuals. When someone sees your ad on a billboard, they might consider one purchase, but you haven’t done anything to inspire a love or appreciation for your brand.

Content marketing can help to make sales while building a brand loyalty that results in what you could call lasting ROI. 

Speaking of smart investments, don’t forget about video. As content marketing and brand presence go, video is essential. In fact, 91% of consumers want to see more online video content from brands. Give the people what they want … and they might give you some sales.

An Asset for Our Age

There is a reason so many marketers, business leaders, copywriters, and graphic designers are espousing the merits of content marketing. They have been entrenched in this industry for a long time, and they’re seeing the benefits this approach can bring; they’re watching businesses spend less and pour thought into their brands, ending up with more customers and lifelong followers because of it.

One could argue that it’s the new gold standard for return on investment in the marketing world … content marketing is the tool to triumph in today’s digital, authenticity-starved landscape.

If you’d like to learn more about content marketing, contact our team here at Pearl & Wordsmith for a free consultation.