Howdy Gorillas,
I’ve been thinking about what to write in this blog. I’ve also been researching the effectiveness of articles and article marketing. Then it occurred to me, it’s all about content isn’t it?
The revolution of consumerism has changed the marketing and purchase funnel from marketer-led (We tell you what you need) to consumer-led (we give you what you tell us you need and you tell your friends if we delivered). One significant difference in this flip is consumers’ demand for explanation and justification. Gone are the days when Madison avenue could say;
Madison Avenue: “Hey Lady, you want to be a good mom right? You want to do what’s best for your kids, don’t you? Here’s how you can. Giving them Kraft’s single slice cheese would be like giving them a 5 ounces of milk. That’s a big part of their daily calcium requirement.”
Proverbial You: “Oh my, 5 ounces of milk in each slice? So you’re saying Kraft’s Single Slice Cheese is a good source of calcium for my kids?”
Madison Avenue: “Hey you do the math. One slice of cheese has 5 ounces of milk. 5 ounces of milk has calcium.
Proverbial You: “So one slice of cheese must have the same amount of calcium as 5 ounces of milk.”
Madison Avenue: “You said it not me! Now go be a good mom and get your kids Kraft’s Single Slice Cheese!”
(NOTE: This campaign ran from 1965 to 1992. It was finally barred by FTC , ruling it false and misleading advertising. You can read more on this case here)
It’s not that yesteryear’s consumers were slow. It’s that today’s consumers have been so exposed and jaded to marketing messages that they have built defenses and become savvy.
As consumers progressively get smarter, marketers need to work harder to reach and engage them. One of the most effective ways holds true to the old adage that you can tell a story with pictures but you can only get a point across with words.
Enters Content Marketing. Content marketing is simply defined as: the creation and distribution of relevant and useful information to a clearly defined target market. It is a soft-sell technique that offers a reason for consumer engagement in the hopes of getting the desired consumer behavior rather than demanding it.
In the world of online marketing, content marketing also provides an avenue for optimization to increase the visibility of the company and website. When a company is blogging, publishing articles and white papers or continuously participating in social media, they are providing content and optimizing but most of all they are communicating with their market.
So you may ask, what are the differences in varying online content marketing tools? Here are the simple definitions of the most popular content marketing tools used today:
Blogs: Blogs are informal diary/journal entries periodically updated by an individual, group or company. Blogs originated as individual commentary on topics of interest and/or opinions but have evolved to include information resources by experts and companies’ marketing their products and services.
Articles: Articles are formal documents written by experts or businesses on topics relating to their industry. Articles are used by businesses as a subtle marketing tool which positions them as experts in an industry.
White Papers: White Papers are formal guides or reports used to explain new and existing products and services. Businesses also utilize White Papers as persuasive marketing tools to promote their products and services.
Hard-Sell marketing techniques have given way to softer approaches including content marketing. In this information-age, consumers are smarter and demand more for their attention. Content marketing provides a way for businesses to communicate, inform and influence their target market. In addition, online content marketing provides the opportunity to increase search engine visibility and establish an individual or business as an expert in their field.
Until next time, keep writing. Your marketing budget can be lower, but it’ll take a little work and sweat to make it shine.
Keyboard Gorilla~
I’ve been thinking about what to write in this blog. I’ve also been researching the effectiveness of articles and article marketing. Then it occurred to me, it’s all about content isn’t it?
The revolution of consumerism has changed the marketing and purchase funnel from marketer-led (We tell you what you need) to consumer-led (we give you what you tell us you need and you tell your friends if we delivered). One significant difference in this flip is consumers’ demand for explanation and justification. Gone are the days when Madison avenue could say;
Madison Avenue: “Hey Lady, you want to be a good mom right? You want to do what’s best for your kids, don’t you? Here’s how you can. Giving them Kraft’s single slice cheese would be like giving them a 5 ounces of milk. That’s a big part of their daily calcium requirement.”
Proverbial You: “Oh my, 5 ounces of milk in each slice? So you’re saying Kraft’s Single Slice Cheese is a good source of calcium for my kids?”
Madison Avenue: “Hey you do the math. One slice of cheese has 5 ounces of milk. 5 ounces of milk has calcium.
Proverbial You: “So one slice of cheese must have the same amount of calcium as 5 ounces of milk.”
Madison Avenue: “You said it not me! Now go be a good mom and get your kids Kraft’s Single Slice Cheese!”
(NOTE: This campaign ran from 1965 to 1992. It was finally barred by FTC , ruling it false and misleading advertising. You can read more on this case here)
It’s not that yesteryear’s consumers were slow. It’s that today’s consumers have been so exposed and jaded to marketing messages that they have built defenses and become savvy.
As consumers progressively get smarter, marketers need to work harder to reach and engage them. One of the most effective ways holds true to the old adage that you can tell a story with pictures but you can only get a point across with words.
Enters Content Marketing. Content marketing is simply defined as: the creation and distribution of relevant and useful information to a clearly defined target market. It is a soft-sell technique that offers a reason for consumer engagement in the hopes of getting the desired consumer behavior rather than demanding it.
In the world of online marketing, content marketing also provides an avenue for optimization to increase the visibility of the company and website. When a company is blogging, publishing articles and white papers or continuously participating in social media, they are providing content and optimizing but most of all they are communicating with their market.
So you may ask, what are the differences in varying online content marketing tools? Here are the simple definitions of the most popular content marketing tools used today:
Blogs: Blogs are informal diary/journal entries periodically updated by an individual, group or company. Blogs originated as individual commentary on topics of interest and/or opinions but have evolved to include information resources by experts and companies’ marketing their products and services.
Articles: Articles are formal documents written by experts or businesses on topics relating to their industry. Articles are used by businesses as a subtle marketing tool which positions them as experts in an industry.
White Papers: White Papers are formal guides or reports used to explain new and existing products and services. Businesses also utilize White Papers as persuasive marketing tools to promote their products and services.
Hard-Sell marketing techniques have given way to softer approaches including content marketing. In this information-age, consumers are smarter and demand more for their attention. Content marketing provides a way for businesses to communicate, inform and influence their target market. In addition, online content marketing provides the opportunity to increase search engine visibility and establish an individual or business as an expert in their field.
Until next time, keep writing. Your marketing budget can be lower, but it’ll take a little work and sweat to make it shine.
Keyboard Gorilla~
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