Content Marketing: The Shift from Push to Pull

THE INCREASING CLUTTER AND FRAGMENTATION OF CONTENT DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR MARKETERS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH AUDIENCES. CONSUMERS ARE NO LONGER PASSIVE RECEPTACLES FOR MARKETING MESSAGES; RATHER THEY ARE INFORMED PARTICIPANTS WHO ACTIVELY SEEK OUT USEFUL CONTENT, WHILE FILTERING MATERIALS THEY DON’T DEEM RELEVANT.

This seismic shift in the ability to communicate with audiences from the organisation to consumers demands a radical rethink in marketing strategy. It is no longer the case that businesses can produce marketing materials to support their product cycles. For messages to achieve cut through, organisations need to have a social licence to discuss the topic, putting permission to engage squarely in the hands of the audience. Credibility and media both need to be earned. 

Content marketing responds to this challenging environment. It is a group of interconnected people, technologies and processes that form a feedback system that generates more-relevant content with each iteration of an audience’s journey. ADMA’s whitepaper: Content Marketing for Long-term Shifts in Consumer Behaviour describes how this process can help you get closer to your audiences. 

SUCCESSFUL CONTENT MARKETING FOCUSES ON THE CUSTOMER’S NEEDS,THEIR EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTION OF AN ORGANISATION.

It is driven by data, is measurable and is proven to provide a return on investment. Effective content marketing produces a tangible shift in the opinions, intentions and behaviours of those who engage with your content. Each of these changes is quantifiable and should be measured regularly to track and provide feedback to the organisation as a whole. Knowing what to measure and how to attribute the effects of content marketing are key to quantifying your return on investment. 

Constructing an effective content marketing strategy and overcoming many of the common challenges to implementation are both discussed in ADMA’s whitepaper. One of the most common hurdles marketers face lies in resourcing. Competition exists for content marketers because there simply aren’t enough people with the right combination of skills and experience. Establishing a dedicated content marketing function, while the ideal solution, is usually not possible without significant changes to the structure and budget of an existing marketing team. Marketers need to strengthen their existing team to include these skills, and look beyond their immediate team to the wider organisation and beyond to source content. 

There are both large and small businesses across a range of industries leading the way in content marketing. While some have addressed the challenge head on by building their own communication channels, others are achieving excellence through partnerships. 

The media landscape continues to evolve quickly. The ability to connect with audiences is shifting more and more into the hands of consumers every day. Now is the time to refine your communications using thoughtfully designed strategic content marketing. 

This is an abstract of ADMA’s Content Marketing whitepaper and you can download the full version here; https://www.admaknowledgelab.com.au/marketing-resources/content/white-papers-3/adma-content-whitepaper/