Content Marketing

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Why Content Marketing?

History of Content Marketing

In recent years, content marketing has exploded, with 89% of B2B marketers currently using content marketing. The reason? The internet. The shift to online media, and more recently, to mobile, means that audiences are consuming content in new and savvy ways. This has led to brands big and small developing comprehensive content strategies with allocated marketing budgets.

Another reason? People are just not that into ads. According to Nielsen’s Global Trust In Advertising report, people trust text ads less than any other content medium, especially on mobile. What’s more, on the list of trusted mediums, editorial content outranked ads on all traditional channels, including TV, radio, billboards, newspapers and magazines. Bottom line: editorial, informational, entertaining content works best.

Content marketing is not a new concept. Brands and businesses were already publishing content in the earliest magazines and newspapers over a hundred years ago. Then, like now, the aim was to strengthen customer engagement, customer acquisition and brand awareness by providing useful, engaging information.

With the rise of digital, marketers increasingly saw the potential and appeal of content marketing. At first, it was a new and exciting approach to inbound marketing, and an effective way to drive online traffic.

Now, with increasingly sophisticated marketing automation and analytics tools, performance marketers are using content marketing as an advanced method for attracting qualified leads, nurturing their engagement down the funnel, and converting them to customers.

Content Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

  • Newsletters

    Regular updates and information to connect with readers

  • Video

    Visual content that drives engagement

  • Infographics

    Information provided in appealing graphic format

  • Longform content

    Articles, whitepapers, ebooks, reports and more

  • Case Studies

    Customer success stories to attract leads

  • Reviews

    Testimonials and advocacy content are powerful converters

  • Image galleries and slideshares

    Get your brand message across with images

  • Online games, polls and quizzes

    Interactive Content that gets great engagement

  • Blogging

    Customer success stories to attract leads

  • Social Media Post

    Text, image or video format on social pages

  • Podcasts & Webinars

    Informative audio/visual content accessible anytime online

  • Live video chats & events

    Boost customer connection with live interactions

  • Newsletters

    Regular updates and information to connect with readers

  • Video

    Visual content that drives engagement

  • Infographics

    Information provided in appealing graphic format

  • Longform content

    Articles, whitepapers, ebooks, reports and more

  • Case Studies

    Customer success stories to attract leads

  • Reviews

    Testimonials and advocacy content are powerful converters

  • Image galleries and slideshares

    Get your brand message across with images

  • Online games, polls and quizzes

    Interactive Content that gets great engagement

  • Blogging

    p Customer success stories to attract leads

  • Social Media Post

    Text, image or video format on social pages

  • Podcasts & Webinars

    Informative audio/visual content accessible anytime online

  • Live video chats & events

    Boost customer connection with live interactions

Boost your content efforts

Content Distribution Channels

Creating content is just half the story. In order to be effective, content must be consumed by the target audience. How to distribute content is a critical part of a content marketing strategy.

Generally speaking, there are 4 models for content marketing distribution:

  • Earned

    Earned content is press coverage or media mentions by other publishers or sites. In the nonstop new cycle and noisy media landscape, it gives you great visibility.

  • Shared

    Shared content is a two way street - it’s community-driven, social media-driven and co-created content. The trick is figuring out how to get more views, comments and shares.

  • Owned

    All the content under your direct control is owned media. This includes your website, blog, newsletter, even your social media pages.

  • Paid Content

    Paid content is just that - it’s distribution and exposure that you’ve paid for. This can include paid search, social media campaigns, display ads, sponsored content, and content discovery platforms like Outbrain (that’s us).

Remember...

Pretty much every type of content marketing falls under one of these umbrellas. But it’s not quite that simple. Earned, owned, and shared content can be paid content as well. Whether earned, owned, shared or paid, all content must be effective to get results.

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What Makes a Piece of Content Effective?

Every piece of content is different, with its own purpose, style and message. If your content hits one or more of the characteristics below, it will help drive the audience to further engage online with your brand. And that’s what leads to conversions.

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Article Resources