What is Content Marketing?

Content Marketing is a term that has come about to describe a strategy of focusing on creating content that helps users rather than what the company thinks is needed. I’ll give you an example:

Say Acme Co produces a line of widgets that have a list of features and are so super and amazing. All of Acme Co’s content thus far has been sales-minded: announcing the product releases and boasting the specs. Acme Co’s existing client-base will know what these widgets are and why they are great, but what about the rest of us?

Now meet Wylie C. Wylie has some or multiple issues and does a search online to find solutions. The Acme Co widget 2000 could be the perfect solution for Wylie, but Wylie will not see this in his search results because the keywords he searched for were not on the Acme Co sales page. The sales page focused on sales and specs rather than problems and solutions.

Imagine that Acme Co could care about the user first and trust that the sale will come later. What might this look like? Acme Co could write an article about the struggles of users with problem Z. This article would resonate and build a connection, a sense of understanding between company and user. Then as part of the suggested solutions, Acme Co could mention the widget 2000 and describe why it will help the user – without the pressure or cockiness of being the BEST solution. Play it cool, boy… real cool.

Content marketing is about helping people, not selling people.

Or at least it should be.

Share your knowledge with the people.
Help them without pressuring them toward a sale.
Show them that you are someone that they will benefit from having a relationship with.
Trust that they will reach out to you when the time is right for them.