Leading international and Australian business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies are increasingly turning to content marketing to raise brand awareness and shape stakeholder behaviour.
So, what exactly is content marketing?
Chances are you’ve already seen, read or listened to content marketing without realising it.
In essence, content marketing is any type of written, audio or visual material which is strategically created to provide value to a defined audience while subtly (or sometimes not-so-subtly) raising awareness of your brand, products or services.
Importantly, content marketing should be part of an overarching marketing strategy and focus on providing valuable information or entertainment to engage audiences or drive behaviours.
Content marketing signifies a significant shift from traditional one-way “push” marketing and advertising to a customer-centric “pull” approach, providing the type of content audiences are eager to seek out. It might be created and published via your owned corporate communication channels or alternatively, by a third party, as part of your digital PR strategy.
As such, content marketing is about aligning your organisation or brand to something stakeholders will be enticed to read, watch, listen or maybe even share with their own networks.
Where do I start?
Like with all things communications, being strategic about your content marketing is an essential first step.
Consider your audience deeply – who they are, what their interests might be and how they prefer to consume information or entertainment.
Think about how the creation and distribution of content will support your organisation’s overall business strategy. What’s your purpose in creating content and how might it raise awareness, retain customer interest, build brand loyalty or increase sales?
Do you have the resources available to plan, create, share and measure your content marketing output, or might you need external support?
It’s also important to build in opportunities to review and adjust your strategy as content marketing continues to evolve.
For example, a 2021 study by Venngage highlighted that 71.4% of Australian brands believe visually appealing content and data is vital to their overall marketing strategy.
Keeping on top of new channels and consumer preference will ensure your content remains fresh, relevant and share-worthy!
If you’ve decided to dip your toe in the content marketing water for the first time, and would like to learn more, be sure to keep an eye out for future blog posts or of course, contact us today.
