It has become increasingly difficult to reach target audiences effectively using traditional advertising methods such as print and broadcast media. Enter content marketing: a modern reworking of the timeless principle in marketing that people want to buy from other people, not faceless corporations.
Content marketing is the sharing of text, pictures and other media, with the focus of creating an interest-based community. The product is advertised indirectly, often as a component of that story or lifestyle.
While traditional advertising focuses on straightforward explanation of a product or service, branded content shifts the focus to the needs and interests of the consumers of that brand. What drives content marketing is the idea of appealing to shared interests between brands and their target consumers. This has been made even more effective by the ability to target niche audiences through the Internet in the recent decade. By appealing to the customer on a more holistic level, companies can create environments where their products and services can be more readily accepted and utilised by their target audience.
The key is to know and understand what appeals to a brand’s target audience and to create content that is interesting, useful and prompts the audience to act in some way.
Content marketing is a great way to engage with audiences on a deeper level, thereby encouraging interest-based relationships and brand loyalty. Social Media for Small Business podcast hosts Suzi Dafnis and Cat Matson interviewed Jeanne-Vida Douglas of Filtered Media about unlocking the key skills of good content marketing. Listen to this interview with Jeanne-Vida Douglas to learn:
- What ‘success’ means in content advertising
- Traditional advertising vs content marketing
- The difference between PR and content marketing
- Details about successful content marketing and how they transformed certain businesses
- How content marketing gives small businesses enormous opportunities
- How branded content relates to community
- Step-by-step content marketing strategy building
- The advantages of becoming a content curator
This post was co-authored by Christina Guo. She is a Media & Communications/Law student at the University of Sydney by day and blogs, draws and photographs by night. She is completing a social media internship at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network.