What is Content Marketing?
Chances are that you have probably been on the receiving end of a content marketing strategy. And although the popularity of content marketing has increased in recent years thanks to the internet, organizations have been doing content marketing for decades.
Did you know that John Deere, the famous tractor company, started publishing a magazine back in 1895 called The Furrow, which provided information to farmers on how they can become more profitable? It is still around today both in print and online, with readership in more than 40 countries. Now why is that considered content marketing? Because the content was valuable to its readership, it just happened to also include photos and information about the John Deere products.
Content marketing adds value, your product or service is secondary in the message. This blog is a great example of content marketing that adds value. It allows our team to share information about our industry, our thoughts and views on business and related topics.
Content marketing is a great way to keep prospects engaged in your organization. They may not be ready to make a commitment yet, but staying top-of-mind by providing information to them is a great way to keep them engaged with your organization.
Some examples of content marketing:
- Articles of interest that appear on your website or blog
- Videos that are informational and/or instructional
- Podcasts – in fact, you can feature clients and prospects to keep them engaged
Consider developing a calendar to help guide the content you’ll be creating. For instance, if you are a florist, your content can be tied to popular holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. If you are in the medical profession, perhaps tips for staying healthy or exercise ideas might be one of your themes.
Once you have the content created, it is important to share it, be that through your organization’s social media channels, as a follow-up email to a conversation with a prospect or as a direct response to a website query.
Engage your team in the process. I bet you’ll find there are some great ideas within your organization.
