The markets of the digital era are far too competitive and fierce. When a commercial venture, regardless of being a brick and mortar set up, or an ecommerce site, decides to operate in this situation, they most definitely need a strong marketing strategy.

The field of marketing has evolved tremendously in the last two decades, especially since the internet has integrated into the sphere of life in every possible way, it is evident that it has tipped traditional marketing on its head. From needing Google to find the difference between two currencies to needing the Starbucks app to order coffee, the human species had collectively opened the door to the consumption of a new format of content that defies the orthodox publication the generation before we had admired and cherished.

According to Statista, people generally have 7.6 social media applications that they use for 142 minutes or more on an average day.

This means that social media has become the new forum for marketers to swipe their creative swords through. From fascinating captions on Instagram to capturing an entire ant in 280 characters for a tweet, digital content has become the new Rosetta stone of success in the post-modern twenty-first century.

Businesses tend to gravitate all of their marketing efforts towards social media without paying heed to the quality of the content being put out there. Social media marketing is, without a doubt, the best way to advertise your wares with high rates of conversions, but the profitability of such an investment is dependent on the type of content published by the organization in the first place.

What has initiated this change in marketing?

This change in consumer marketing has emerged from the seismic shift in lifestyle and mindsets through the globalized industries. Today, the consumer is looking for an experience that improves the quality of their life instead of needing a product to fulfill a need.

But then, how are these generated in the target audiences? 

How are social media and digital marketing capable of attracting so much attention?

The answer to both of these questions is in the first two words written in the title: CONTENT MARKETING. From newsletters to blogs, infographics to guest posts, content marketing has been the gravitational force for the success of all things sold across the internet.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a technique applied in the creation and distribution of relevant and valuable content that remains consistent in tone and register to acquire a previously defined audience. The primary objective here is to drive profitable action from the customer.

It is necessary to note that emphasis must be placed on the notion of value prescribed to the content generated. The concept of value implied by the words published on a social media platform to the consumer’s life is what makes content marketing different. The goal of marketing content is to generate a need in the lives of the target consumer so that they feel genuinely attracted to your product or service and end up investing a good amount of their time and also their funds on your business.

How does content marketing work?

Content marketing requires strong storytelling abilities to ensure efficiency. A rich backstory that projects a unanimous tale of the brand is necessary to propagate a need for your product in the mind of the consumer. Any piece of content marketing created depends on the perception of the viewer.

It mainly depends on the ability to generalize the subjectivity of the consumer exposed to the content. The underlying mechanism is the reception of value derived from the said content.

Who uses content marketing?

Content marketing is a weapon found in the arsenal of some of the market giants that are often brought up in the discussions of marketing, strategy, and conceptualization. Companies like Microsoft and P&G use this technique to help the audience feel connected to the company.

Is a content marketing strategy different from a content strategy?

This is a question that asks whether there is any differentiation in the alphabet and algebra. Of course, both strategies differ, but they are not parallel as they intersect at the same intention; conversions and the generation of more sustainable revenue for the organization.

In strict adherence to the question, the content marketing strategy answers why a company is posting the content, whereas the content strategy is the plan that shows how the goal will be achieved. This means that the marketing strategy is similar to the traditional marketing strategies that were used previously.

However, one must remember that there is no universal template for content marketing. It differs based on objectives, customer needs, customer segmentation, and also the efforts planned to achieve the goal.

Remember, no content marketing strategy is successful until it is fine-tuned every once in a while.

What are the merits of a successful content marketing strategy?

The focus of a majority of the strategists is on the strategy’s success instead of the merits that make an efficient strategy. Here is a list of six pillars forming a plan bound to succeed in any market.

Content Strategy: the beginning of the marketing journey. This is where the resources are allocated, and the rules are defined.

Content Creation: this is where the fun begins. The process of writing, directing, and execution is addressed here.

Content Optimization: this is the post-production work where the content is optimized to perform well on the intended search engines.

Content Distribution: this is where the channels for advertisement are chosen.

Content Repurposing: this is the stop where old content is reused in a different context.

Content Maintenance: this is the last stop where changes are made to the content to keep it relevant.

Future of content marketing

As years go past, content marketing will continue to grow personally and seep into intimacy with the reader’s thoughts. The focus will move from fantasy to the reality of existence in a more philosophical fashion, and the formats of production are expected to shift towards video content.

And that is all we wanted to share about content marketing, the trendiest marketing technique of the century.