How can you explain Content Marketing to someone who has never heard of it?

The way I think of it as a business owner who utilises content marketing as almost our only marketing channel - which I fully accept isn’t typical - is that content is a long-lead marketing game for me, but a short-lead benefit for our audience. We are comfortable with the long game. It suits how we do what we do and it is proven to work for us. I’m interested in what others say on this one.

You market a company that makes tires. But in your market, cars are relatively new. To put your brand into drivers' heads, you write branded driving guides aimed at new drivers. To start with, your guides mostly talk about "how to drive" and "how to change a tire" alongside useful driving maps. As your market matures, you go deeper into driver wants. Your guides start to feature reviews of restaurants on popular routes - great for hungry drivers. Eventually, your guides become a resource for gourmands while your tire brand becomes the biggest in the world. This is content marketing. It's what Michelin has been doing with the Michelin guide since 1900, and it remains one of the most powerful content marketing campaigns ever produced.

When addressing a total newbie, content marketing is best explained as the process of educating people on what you sell and why they should buy it. Because many things in life are not as easy to explain and persuade with as warm french fries.

Your words speak to your customer. Identify the perfect message and a unique way to say it. Capture attention, share knowledge, and build relationships.

At its most basic content marketing is the creation and sharing of content to acquire and retain customers. To be effective, the content has to be relatable and relevant to their concerns and interests.

Content includes everything... posts, blogs, videos, streams, ads, newsletters, emails.... and so much more. Knowing your audience and community will help you connect to them. Knowing their needs and desires can really increase that bond. Knowing what type of content your competitors are producing helps. But one should never copy exactly what their competitors are doing rather use it for inspiration to create better content that has a bigger impact and reach.

Because content marketing is the bridge that connects your brand with your audience on a deeper level. It's not just about selling a product or service; it's about creating a narrative that resonates, educates, and inspires. In a world saturated with information, content marketing is your beacon, guiding your audience toward the value you provide.

Content marketing is important because it provides employees within a business the opportunity to display their expertise on a topic without needing to be extremely sales-y. Establishing credibility through thought-leading content, whether it's a blog, podcast, or video, lets customers know that your business employs experts who will be ready to help them when the time is right.

? It's vital because it builds trust with your audience, improves brand awareness, and can influence purchasing decisions. It's a way to connect with customers in a meaningful way, beyond traditional advertising.

I get it—content marketing can sound a bit abstract if you're not in the industry. I like to say it's like being a storyteller for a brand. Imagine you're at a party and meet someone new. They don't just hand you a business card. Instead, they share stories, make you laugh, and maybe teach you something new. By the end, you feel a connection and remember them. Similarly, content marketing is about creating and sharing something valuable that engages people by being helpful, entertaining, or inspiring, rather than outright selling. Over time, people start to trust the brand, and eventually, when they need what the brand offers, it's the first name that comes to mind. It's a slow burn, but it's incredibly rewarding when done right!

Sharing your content strategically is like casting a wide net. Spread the word across various channels—your website, blog, emails, social media, and even paid advertising. This smart spreading ensures your content hits the right people with the most impact.

? It works by offering valuable content to potential customers instead of directly selling to them. This can be through blogs, videos, social media posts, and more, helping to solve their problems or answer their questions, which in turn can lead to sales.

? Examples include informative blog posts, how-to videos, infographics, podcasts, and social media content. These are not overtly promotional but provide value to the audience.

When talking to someone who has never heard of content marketing, use terms and examples that will be familiar to them: articles on company websites or industry publications, teaching courses virtually, downloadable guides, short videos on social media, etc. Chances are, the person you're speaking to is aware they have been marketed to, you just need to connect the dots so they can relate what they've seen to what you do.

Two great examples of how to use content marketing to engage with your brand are - ? HubSpot's use of ebooks and courses. ? Spotify's annual personalized year-in-review campaign, which has become widely recognized.

The important steps in content marketing is to understand what you offer (the benefits over features), create a buyer persona for those who need your products or services, and create content that makes them know, like, trust, and respect you. When starting out, use different forms of content and stick with the one that resonates more with your target audience. Also, employ the storytelling frame work that involves the main character (your audience), the challenges they face, and the solution (which is your products or services).

Just because you create content does not mean you are done. You gave to engage with the people who interact with your content. So many marketers forget this... which leads to missed opprotunities and truly developing a community that follows your content.

As a marketer, I have found that it's important to remind the employees at my company that they are subject matter experts in what they do, whether they consider themselves that or not. This empowers them to use their unique voice and insights to bring credibility to themselves and the company.

? Key practices include understanding your audience, creating high-quality and relevant content, being consistent in publishing, using SEO to enhance visibility, and measuring the impact of your content.

Explaining content marketing as a distinct discipline can be challenging, given that it overlaps with a range of other marketing disciplines/functions. A content marketer in an organisation might find himself contributing to sales enablement, company branding & PR efforts, social media management, lead generation, and a lot more. In a sense, 'content marketing' is a matter of perspective - of looking at marketing activities from a content-centric standpoint. Crafting messaging, defining content formats, distributing content and tracking its impact on marketing endeavors - these will be top-of-mind for a content marketer. Content is perrenially present in marketing; it's just a question of making it your prime focus.

Branding must find a USPs to make the brand attractive to discerning customers and drive away fierce competitors. PR is about building credibility for the brand using specialized tools. It's measured by whether it creates a favorable impression with the public or not. Similar to PR, the mission of advertising is to use the right ingredients that the brand has found to create an appealing dish. From the perspective of advertisers, content marketing is about speaking accurately and effectively about the brand. Speaking accurately means talking about the brand's USPs. Speaking effectively means expressing this USPs in a visually appealing, linguistically creative, or sonically captivating way.

Most people prefer to avoid the type of salesperson only appearing when they want to sell. Don't be that guy (or lady!) And how do you avoid being that type of salesperson? By providing value consistently. And content marketing lets you do it at scale! In a cost-effective way. When you do it consistently enough, it gets easier when you reach out to your prospects or clients. Better yet, you start attracting them to you!

? It's important to stay updated with market trends and evolving audience preferences. Also, integrating content marketing with other marketing strategies for a cohesive approach is crucial. Remember, it's a long-term strategy that requires patience and adaptability.

The biggest mistake that most companies make is posting content that they find interesting but it's not necessarily interesting to the customer. For your content marketing strategy to work the content has to be relevant and of value. This means knowing your customer and their needs extremely well. The second most common mistake is posting content that's unoriginal. While it is important to cover the basics your content must have an insight or angle or be told in a way that's not readily available somewhere else. If you're just doing what others have done before you won't stand out or resonate and therefore it will be ineffective. A strong content marketing strategy that works requires continuous focus, resources and analysis.