Steve Jobs said it first in 1996: Content is king. And countless marketers, strategists, and industry leaders have chanted this three-word mantra ever since.

While the digital landscape has significantly changed since the ’90s, one thing that remains the same is the importance of content.

In fact, great content is more critical than ever today — especially in a digital marketing strategy.

What is Content Marketing?

“Traditional marketing and advertising is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world that you are one.” -Robert Rose, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer, The Content Advisory.

While there are many ways to explain content marketing, at its core, it’s about sharing your brand or company’s story in a way that feels more authentic and useful to the consumer.

The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) defines it as 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.”

It’s not about pitching products or services. Rather, content marketing “provides relevant and useful content to your prospects and customers to help them solve issues in their work (B2B content marketing) or personal lives (B2C content marketing).”

Why is Content Marketing Important?

“These days, people want to learn before they buy, be educated instead of pitched.” -Brian Clark, Entrepreneur.

According to an eCommerce Foundation study, 88% of customers are researching a company through online content before they ever reach out.

But that’s only one of the reasons content marketing is so crucial to a company’s success.

Given that successful content offers a meaningful and compelling way for brands to engage with their target audiences, the benefits of content marketing are extensive.

When it’s done well, content marketing can help you accomplish many objectives and goals for your business, including:

• Increased brand awareness, retention, and loyalty
• Lead generation
• Connection with an audience that avoids ads
• Higher traffic, sales, and intended consumer action
• Thought leadership to build credibility and influence
• Introduction of corporate social responsibility goals
• Amplification of other marketing tactics, including SEO, PR, and social media

How Does Content Marketing Work?

Content is anything that adds value to the reader’s life. -Avinash Kaushik, Chief Strategy Officer, Croud.

Because every single brand and company has a different story — and a unique value proposition or product to sell — content varies greatly.

Content marketing encompasses two major components: content creation and the distribution of that content.

Content Creation

Creating content is about getting your intended prospects and existing customers to pay attention by producing interesting information they care about — or that serves a purpose for them.

While blogs and articles might be the first thing you think about when it comes to “content,” content marketing can be much more. Here’s a quick (and still non-exhaustive) list of tactics:

• Blog posts and articles
• White papers
• Case studies
• Video
• Product demos and how-to guides
• Podcasts
• Email and newsletters
• Infographics
• eBooks
• Webinars and interviews
• Quizzes
• ROI calculators
• Testimonials and reviews
• Loyalty and rewards programs

Content Distribution

The distribution part of a content marketing strategy can include a range of marketing channels. It’s essentially any and all the places your target audience may be spending time or searching for content. This could include:

• Website
• Email
• Direct mail
• Social media
• Paid digital marketing
• Events

Who is My Target Audience?

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” -Dr. George Berkeley

You can have the best content in the world, but if it’s not distributed to the right target audiences for your brand — and in the channels where they’re searching and paying attention — it doesn’t matter.

No one sees it, and it doesn’t make a sound.

So, to create the most effective content, you need to identify who you want to reach. You may need different assets and content types for various types of customers.

Your brand might have an ideal customer profile (ICP) and buyer personas representing your best-fit consumers.

If you don’t, you’ll want to consider demographics like age, gender, education, profession, income, family status, and geolocation. You may even layer in psychographics like values, personality traits, lifestyle preferences, hobbies, and more.

Creating and Implementing a Content Marketing Strategy

“Here’s everything you need to know about creating killer content in 3 simple words: Clear. Concise. Compelling.” -Demian Farmworth, Blogger.

The beauty of quality content marketing is that it works everywhere — and it should be fully and seamlessly integrated at every stage in your digital marketing funnel: awareness, consideration, conversion, and retention.

There are five essential steps to define your content marketing strategy:

1. Know your business objectives and define your content goals.
2. Identify your audience — and who you want to reach.
3. Create the best-fit content marketing assets for that intended audience.
   (Remember: Content that is relevant, valuable, and authentic is vital!)
4. Choose your marketing channels and publishing frequency to distribute your content.
   (Remember: It’s essential to reach your audiences where they are!)
5. Analyze the impact and results and adjust accordingly.

Content Marketing “Cons” to Consider

“Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.” -Doug Kessler, Co-founder, Velocity.

While we’ve talked about why content marketing is so important and beneficial, but what about the challenges?

• It’s time-consuming.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is it can be time-consuming to ideate and brainstorm the quality content that will drive results, and then publish and analyze the results.

• The results aren’t always immediate.

Often, content marketing can be more of a long game. It requires some testing and trial and error to discover what works best for your target audiences.

• The results aren’t always measurable.

Speaking of results, they’re not always measurable either! While metrics like web traffic and online conversions can be quantified, it’s harder to quickly determine the impact of content marketing on brand awareness, loyalty, and even reputation.

• It may require investment in outside resources.

Often, companies may need to outsource content like video, graphics, and more because they don’t have the expertise (or the time!) to produce it in-house.

How Can I Find a Content Marketing Agency Near Me?

If your company needs some support in content marketing strategy and execution, consider working with an agency specializing in content marketing.

The great thing about engaging with a content marketing agency is that they don’t necessarily have to be in your ZIP code to be an effective partner. Agencies work with brands worldwide to enhance their digital marketing strategies.

At Denver Post Media, we do it for our clients every day of the week.

Another great resource is the Content Marketing Institute, where you can connect with communities and find additional direction.