Content Marketing Becomes the Most Effective Method of Capturing Consumer Attention.
In this context, from the overheated media industry, content marketing is a valve for marketers and consumers.
However, content marketing is not a new concept. The big brands used it long before the appearance of the Internet.
Even though the term was first used in 1996 by John F. Oppedahl according to Wikipedia, the famous company John Deere seems to have been among the first to use a content marketing strategy. Unconsciously in terms of terminology, but extremely well anchored in the needs of the target market at the time. In 1895 he launched the magazine "The Sillon", with the aim of providing valuable information to farmers in terms of increasing the profitability of their work. SEO service providers can use this almost inexhaustible source of ideas to their advantage and their customers.
It "represents a strategic marketing approach, oriented towards the constant creation and distribution of precious and relevant content, in order to capture and retain the attention of a core of consumers, who will eventually buy our products/services."
Content marketing is "a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing and distributing content for a target market, usually online, in order to attract as many new customers as possible".
There are two solid yet different definitions. Personally, I prefer the first definition with the mention that I would add the term "online" in the second. We must recognize the importance of the online component in modern marketing and in particular in content marketing strategies.
However, since I think that simply defining the term does not help us understand the concept, I invite you to continue to discover more elements of content marketing.
Like any marketing approach, setting up a content marketing campaign should set concrete goals. You can say that most marketing campaigns have goals. And you were right. What campaign is not aimed at capturing the attention of consumers, increasing brand awareness or increasing sales?
But, as we have seen, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract the attention of consumers, the generation of qualified leads is very expensive through traditional marketing, customer confidence is an aspect of which many 'companies only dream. Through content marketing, these goals become more tangible, more realistic.
The consumer is constantly evolving. Her needs too. When Abraham Maslow, a renowned American humanist psychologist, published in 1954 the famous pyramid of needs, people had needs that better corresponded to the first three layers of the pyramid: physiological needs, security needs and needs. love and belonging. Over time, consumers have evolved today and their needs are found in the last two highest positions in the pyramid: the needs related to self-esteem and development.
It is obviously more difficult to meet these complex needs. People have to meet, resonate, be empathetic if you want to make the mark. But how do you get these emotions, these feelings from consumers? how can we get so close to consumers so that we can believe them and turn them into customers?
Anticipate existing needs and first meet the information needs of consumers. Today, more than ever, purchasing decisions are based on information. The information must be concrete, relevant, come from credible sources and last but not least, be sufficient.
The power of content marketing lies precisely in this incredible ability to provide the target audience with this essential information, at different stages of the purchasing process, so that they can make the purchasing decisions that benefit them the most.
With content marketing, companies show they are ready to offer before they ask.
Extras: Generating quality content is not the easiest thing. It takes time and resources (of all kinds). I, therefore, recommend that you do not perform this work. The magic effect (conversion) occurs if the content is relevant to the person who consumes it, NOT if it is very quantitative. Basically, make a little content but the quality is better than a lot and stupid.
Have fun!