What Exactly Is Content?

What do digital marketers mean when they refer to content, content curation and content marketing? That’s a good question…I’m glad you asked! Here’s my simple answer. Content is information.

When referring to content online we are generally talking about any information that you share with the world. This can be on your website, a blog, a social media post, an eBook, an image, a list, a poem…you get the idea. Information is thought of as “that which informs”. And the content you put out to the world does, in fact, inform them.

It informs them about your:

? Credibility—do you know what you’re talking about? Are you a trustworthy source?

? Skill level—does what you present seem professional or amateurish?

? Attention to detail—are there typos or mistakes in what you present?

? Voice—what is the tone and feeling they take away from the information?

? View of the reader—do you provide value or is everything about you making the sale?

? Facts or data—are you are seeking to educate or enlighten? Is your information clear?

So in light of these, your content becomes very important. You don’t want to throw something out there without thought, strategy and a plan. In this case, it’s better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing on a regular basis. Even loyal followers will begin to fall away if you ignore your this.

How Do I Get Good Content?

Hopefully you see the importance of good content. But how do you get good content? Where does it come from? Actually, there are only a few basic options to choose from.

1. Create it yourself.

If you are good at writing copy, telling a story, and understanding and incorporating keywords then you may be able to create your own content. But don’t forget the time factor when considering writing your own copy. Do you have time to consistently do a good job? Does writing invigorate you or drain you? Do you approach a writing assignment with enthusiasm or do you feel like a 9th grader with a paper due on a subject you don’t care about? Will the energy it takes to write take away from the main parts of your business that you are passionate about? Take all these factors into consideration before deciding to write it yourself.

2. Curate it.

Curating simply means gathering content from quality sources and presenting it in a fresh way and one that adds a new level of value to your audience. We’ll go into detail about this later, but this option does take knowledge and time as well. You will need to sort through all the thousands of sources out there and determine which ones are the best for you. Then you’ll need to stay on top of trends and events in your industry and that impact your customer so that you can present something they haven’t already seen plastered all over the internet. Once you gather some good subject matter you’ll need to put your own unique spin on it, showing your customers why it’s important. And don’t forget to credit the original source. Curation done right takes time and energy too. Do you have enough of both? Refer to number 1 above.

3. Outsource it.

There are a lot of choices when it comes to outsourcing. But if you want high quality, delivered consistently, that will tell your story with your voice, you need to hire a professional. Like any other skill, writing skills improve over time. When you hire a professional writer you receive the benefit of all the years they’ve spent perfecting their craft. It’s also important to work with someone who understands the ins and outs of online marketing. It’s not like writing copy for print media. Knowing the various platforms, the audience they attract, what type of information they will respond to and most importantly, what message you want them to hear, is critical to your success..

What is Content Curation?

Curation is the process of gathering and sorting information pertaining to a certain topic and presenting it in the best way possible for your purposes. Sharing relevant content is an important part of building credibility and maintaining a successful online presence. By curating the right way we demonstrate our breadth of knowledge, provide education to the public and create connections with thought leaders in the industry—both competitors and other like-minded business owners.

But curation is more than just re-posting someone else’s opinions. To be successful we need to find information that is fresh and present it in a new way that is exciting to readers. An additional benefit occurs when your curation is also appreciated by the original source.

Sources

Top curation sites include:

Feedly

Buzzsumo

Reddit

You should also look for industry specific sites. When you share from these sites, or any other source, be sure to give proper credit and always follow their copyright requirements.

Content Marketing = Creation

Content marketing is really just the creation and distribution of content. It is different from curation because it involves the creation of original works. This could include white papers, blogs, articles, ebooks—even images and videos can be used to distribute information and sales messages.

When you create your own material, if it’s good, it builds confidence in your brand. Obviously, if it’s not very good, it does the opposite. For more detailed information about what makes content marketing work, read my blog.

Content marketing done well shows that you actually care about your customer.

Content marketing is an important tool in online marketing. But it can be much more time consuming. To be highly effective I recommend using a combination of both curation and creation. Using both allow you to demonstrate a much greater depth and range of knowledge about your product. Increasing credibility by using a sound strategy is an extremely important factor in the success of your business. If you need help creating or curating content, send me a message or schedule a chat with me.