Marketing Myth: Content is Just a Placeholder

Content is the fuel to a company's marketing efforts. After data is analyzed and strategy is finalized, it is the content that executes the strategy on a daily basis and aids in driving results. Without effective content, your marketing is a paper house– easily blown here or there by the tumultuous market. The burden content carries has become increasingly difficult, though– The consumer has mastered the art of skimming print and web sources to get the information they desire, and DVRs and services like Spotify and Pandora have made television and radio ads irrelevant and content seemingly unimportant, unless the content you produce is actually doing its job.

In today’s market, content marketing drives traffic to websites and engages the consumer in a powerful way– if done correctly. But what exactly is content marketing? Great Question–  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.”

The key here is to have your content say something that your consumer would actually want to hear. Now, this does not mean your company makes empty promises or over sells to attract the attention of the consumer. Rather, think about what you would actually take the time to listen to if you were the consumer– What articles, blog posts or videos would you take time out of your busy day to actually take in, or dare we say it– enjoy.

Content is the mouthpiece of your marketing strategy– make sure you are saying something worthwhile.