There are many pressing questions about content marketing. Answering these doubts means reaching a consensus about a suitable definition. According to the Content Marketing Institute: “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.”
This definition explains content marketing and provides solid clues for execution. For example, strategic, valuable, relevant, consistent, and customer action can become goals when applying this discipline’s tenets.
I’ll answer 8 of these critical questions next.
1. What is content?
You’ll be surprised to know that content is not only text. You can find content in audio, video, images, and text. In addition, not all text is the same. For example, you can separate text into emails, blog posts, copy for social media, eBooks, tutorials, reviews, case studies, white papers, etc.
There is also User Generated Content (UGC), which is content you haven’t created yourself as a brand but rather the visitors of your site, the users of your app, and the audience of your blog.
Much of Web 2.0, as we know it, began with user-generated content.
2. Are digital assets the same as content?
An essential part of digital marketing, content marketing, and inbound marketing revolves around digital assets. Why are they called digital? Simply because they are made up of binary data. The asset part comes from being valuable. It’s not the same random picture as the company’s main logo image files. Some examples of digital assets are:
- Video
- Photo
- Audio
- Graphics
- Presentations
- PDFs
- Design files
- Spreadsheets
You can extract content from these assets. So, for example, you can have one of these assets in the form of a Microsoft Word file, and then you can copy this text to a blog post, which becomes content.
3. Is content marketing the same as inbound marketing?
The short answer is that inbound marketing focuses on creating content for a website with solid Calls to Action (CTAs), such as filling up a form or directing traffic to a sales page to make a sale.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is more focused on how to create and distribute content through multiple channels.
Many individuals and professionals use the two terms distinctively but they are undoubtedly different. Inbound marketing can also include offline components such as attending conferences and industry events.
Both strategies have something in common: Content is what fuels them. So finally, inbound marketing includes content marketing.
4. Is content marketing the same as copywriting?
The short answer to this question is that content marketing can include copywriting, but they are different.
Content marketing is about creating relevant content, which can be monetized by transforming an audience into buyers and repeat buyers.
Copywriting is all about persuasion: The words that convert on a sales page, email, and headlines, among others.
A successful content marketing strategy may include copywriting, also known as salesmanship in writing. By embedding these powerful language patterns and influence strategies into content, this content becomes a vehicle for converting your prospects into fans and buyers.
5. What is an example of content marketing?
Maybe you were searching for a particular piece of information and found a YouTube video created to solve your problem or answer your question. On the other hand, perhaps you encountered a blog post that included what you sought. Both are examples of content marketing.
A particular example is Aweber’s welcome emails. You’ll find that you can do things with the platform to boost your reach and earnings and make your blogger life much more manageable. This content is crucial for automating the answer to many questions their customers have or will have as they take a deep dive into the email marketing tool.
6. What are the steps in content marketing?
If you have created marketing campaigns in the past, you have noticed that either you join all the separate parts that comprise a strategy or you can follow a pre-defined framework. Following a ready-made structure can save you a lot of time, even if you leave some flexibility on the table.
You can implement the following steps:
- Set realistic goals
- Find your niche
- Answer how you will differentiate from the competition
- What media will you focus on at first?
- How will your audience reach you?
- How will you monetize your venture?
- How will you expand?
- What is your exit strategy?
7. What are the benefits of content marketing?
If you’re wondering about the benefits of content marketing, I’ll show you some of the most relevant ones next:
- You can start small with a modest monetary investment
- Google will love you (Increases web traffic, positive for SEO)
- More leads for your business
- You can close your sales on autopilot
- It’s the marketing and advertising wave of the future
- You won’t annoy your customers, which sometimes happens with traditional advertising
- Positions yourself as a thought leader
- Improves your conversion rates
- Automates, in great measure, your customer service
- The personal satisfaction of understanding your business inside and out
As you can see, you’ll find many benefits when you do content marketing, especially if it involves a blog.
8. How do I get started in content marketing?
The first step is, of course, setting goals. To understand what’s possible, you should understand a bit of strategy and how the moving parts fit together. Once you’ve done this, it’s critical to act. Sometimes perfectionism gets in the way of execution. You can begin with a modest scope and expand it as you discover more about your target audience and capabilities.
If you have a clear idea of what you want, then go for it. But, on the other hand, you can get your feet wet and iterate over it. Remember what Goethe said: “Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it.”
Conclusion
Content marketing seems like a new concept. However, it gathers many elements of the marketing playbook to create a cohesive and tried strategy. I’ve answered the pressing questions about content marketing. Sometimes a few answers can point us on the right path. This guidance is instrumental in the knowledge economy, where content marketing shines.
Having a strategy is the first step toward success. I don’t recommend taking pieces from here and there without aim since it doesn’t concentrate on your strengths. By now, you should also be aware of the raging success stories of blogs, brands, and companies using content marketing. These can (and should) motivate you as you reach your goals since you can see what’s possible.
