Content marketing is a complex and ever evolving concept to marketing. There are many misconceptions to this approach; however, by understanding the important role of content marketing as it relates to business growth we can use it as part of our marketing campaign.
What does ‘’Content marketing’’ actually stand for?
While traditional marketing has always played a vital role in business growth, content marketing is just as important. Content Marketing whether offline or online is a strategic part of any business growth since it allows your brand to connect with your audience. By connecting with your targeted audience, you can continue to build trust and create a long-lasting relationship between your business and your customers. A very detailed infographic by the Content Marketing Institute showcases some examples of Content Marketing way before the age of the internet.
By understanding the history of content marketing and where this concept is going in the future you can grow your business by creating amazing content for your customers. So here are some of the greatest misconceptions about content marketing that you should be aware of:
1) Content Marketing is Solely Digital
While most people might have a misconstrued idea that content marketing is solely digital, the concept has a long history, dating back as far as 4200 BC. Namely, some would say that the early cave paintings represent the first sign of custom publishing, offering painting translations such as “6 ways a spear can save you from wild boar”. It wasn’t until the 1900’s when Micheline developed the Michelin Guides that the concept of Content Marketing really took off. Michelin successfully brought together the world of transportation, travel and culinary by distributing the Michelin guides to French motorists. Even after more than a century, this concept is widely known and still very well respected amongst many consumers and business brands. Michelin was the pioneer and established a new standard when it comes to creative marketing concepts.
2) Content Marketing Is Nothing Without Google
Creating content is important especially when it’s for a niche targeted audience; therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that your content can be searchable on search engines such as Google or Bing. During the digital age, everybody wants their content to rank higher hoping that it will bring them new customers; however, most content creators often forget to create good content. If your content is lacking then even Google won’t be able to help you retain audience. Therefore, focusing on quality content is just as important as improving your rank on Google.
3) Quantity vs. Quality
It’s important to update your social media platforms on a regular basis in order to stay connected with your audience; however, that doesn’t mean that you can post anything you want. Many small businesses with a few employees often have a third-party vendor helping them create social media posts to stay updated. Often, these third-party vendors or social media bots are not well connected with your brand identity and fail to post content that is relevant. As a result, many consumers can see through this and interpret it as a bad effort or that your company is not being genuine. Customers will often unfollow a brand if the company is not being transparent. You have worked hard for your company so don’t let bad content be your downfall. Focus on creating relatable quality content for your content marketing project and have an editorial schedule that fits best with your business needs.
While there are many more misconceptions about content marketing, it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone is an expert. Curate content that is relevant to your brand and use SEO strategy to make your content stand out. Not every content is good content; therefore, take the time to understand your audience and only through practice you will be able to succeed. Use an editorial calendar to stay organized when publishing any type of content whether it’s an Instagram image or a long blog article. Continue to grow and improve by developing a strong content marketing strategy and good publishing practices from the start.