Traditional marketing is stepping down, and content marketing is stepping up! When it comes to traditional marketing, you go Don Draper and pitch your products or services to the clients. When you are focused on content marketing, you are providing relevant and valuable content that your prospects and customers can use to help solve their issues. One of the first things I think of when it comes to writing social content is, "How will this apply to the reader?" You have to be able to find the soft spot of strategic marketing with a relevant and applicable approach, thus driving profitable customer action.
Many people think that they need sponsorship or a 'celebrity' to pitch as to why they love this product or service. But, content marketing is great for your bottom line, increases sales, promotes cost savings, and you build better customer loyalty or goodwill. Take Aaron Rodgers and State Farm for example, although the commercials are funny and appeal to customers, this is not an example of content marketing.
We All Know Spam Way too Well
Email campaigns are still one of the most effective mobile marketing channels with a high ROI. Take a minute or two to open your email and go to your junk or spam folder. I receive emails like, "This sale won't last much longer!" or "Pre-Order starts TODAY!" Both of these are subject lines which are what captures the reader's attention. A good subject line is like the offensive line of football. Without a good 'offensive line', the quarterback, in this case, the content of the email, cannot reach the receiver. After reading those two subject lines, it honestly doesn't interest me in the slightest. But if you take a look at the definition of content marketing, the difference is with two words, "relevant" and "valuable." Pre-ordering starts today is not relevant or valuable to me. I don't know what the product is or why I need it. To me, it's stuff! This idea is what makes content marketing so intriguing in today's society of marketing spam and messages.
The Content Drive
To form a great marketing strategy, you need great content. Your customer may look forward to seeing what you have to share today! Instead of something promotional, share an experience. For example, a semi-annual sale is a perfect opportunity! 75% off everything in the store compared to "Jaci was able to buy this and that for only $25.00! What can you get ahold of?!" This content drives me to experience it myself because Jaci is an actual customer that benefited from the sale! It's not a pitch; it's an experience.
There is a vast majority of campaigns that are also using content marketing. One of my personal favorites is a commercial that I am sure all of us have seen, Jack Daniel's "Our Town." You can check it out at this link. We all know that Jack Daniel's is a billion-dollar company, but with their strategic content marketing, we feel closer and can relate to them. We apply our personal experiences with the people of the town. The humbleness behind the company makes you want to support them. This is what content marketing is all about; it makes you feel a connection and proves investing in the product is worth your while.
Build a Game Plan
I found a great content marketing game plan perfect for all marketing campaigns. Inbound marketing, in particular, would get you to the 35-yard line (getting found online through search engines and on Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Once you get there, what do you do? There are so many strategies behind content marketing, like lead nurturing, customer service, and building goodwill.
The primary purpose of content marketing is an organic, authentic, and the driving force for your company and brand awareness. To capture the attention of your client think about customer conversations and representing their business as your own, this goes a long way. But sometimes marketing strategies are like a 'Hail Mary,' and you don't know the outcome until it is in the hands of the receiver. Don't be afraid to push the envelope because you may be the team to score the touchdown.