By Murris Johnson
Content marketing, this, content marketing, that. For the past couple of years this phrase has been thrown around in conversations and business talk like no other jargon out there. One might wonder, though, if those who use this phrase really know what it means, and how vital it actually is to business these days.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, “content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
Its purpose is to gain and retain a following of customers through the constant production of content that is valuable and enticing—and that positively changes appetites and behaviors.
Many large organizations are using content marketing tools in their business strategies, like Coke, Kraft, Cisco, American Express, and Marriott. These companies have made it big this way and are still using it to stay in the game.
Some tactics, as discussed here on a previous post, which have helped these companies include Instagram storytelling, podcasts paired with blogs, and taking advantage of specific holidays and events.
Cotopaxi, an outdoor equipment brand, has done a fantastic job in telling stories on Instagram. Beautiful visuals and carefully-crafted captions leave followers to dream up their own endings for their adventures—while using this company’s gear.
TEDTalk, the leader in idea and innovation generation, has used podcasts as another medium. And it almost seems natural for it to do so, like podcasting was re-adopted by TEDTalk. Rather than having to sit and watch in order to access creative pioneers, you can now listen to the powerful messages they have to share—while you are on the move.
GoPro is the leading provider in action cameras. This company has mastered the art of visualizing the word “wow,” and has learned how to put it into content form. The marketing team there is smart and aware. They’ve used events and holidays to embed GoPro into human lives. GoPro has become an eponym.
These brands used content marketing to make splashes in certain industries, which helped each one to lead the respective pack.
With the proper strategy, any business can excel using content marketing, and should… even in the later months of 2016. A startup that is trying to make it big should adapt to the new tools out there—content marketing being one of those forceful and dynamic tools. With content marketing as part of an arsenal, great things can happen for a business strategy in just about every industry.
So to answer the question as to whether or not content marketing is just another “buzz word”… the definitive answer is a resounding… NO!
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Murris Johnson is a Digital Marketing expert that has been in the industry full time since 2003. His passion for all things digital marketing is fueled by the life it’s allowed him to live while traveling with his family.
