Content marketing isn't hype. It's here to stay. Why?

This is a subject I covered on B2B Marketing - but I feel so strongly about it, that hey I'm banging on about it again!

Obviously I'm going to say it's here to stay but let me explain why I believe it's so. Content marketing hasn't just turned up overnight. Marketers have been doing it for years.

Whenever B2B marketers conduct a campaign, they develop what's called a Call To Action.

What's a Call To Action?

A Call To Action (CTA) is a:

• Try it now
• Free trial for 30 days only
• Download X

It's the statement that impels you to do something. We use them on advertising, direct mail, email, pay per click etc. etc.

CTAs that work trail content

What we discovered over time is that the CTAs that delivered more responses, clicks and higher engagement were those that trailed something of particular value to the target audience: a needs-based white paper, a report, a benchmark of competitors, a webinar. For example:

• Why CRM systems fails - a white paper report
• How X FTSE 100 companies reduced fraud by X% - a video case study
• The Inside Track on marketing automation - a webinar

The trouble is it was always an afterthought. Get creative first. CTA last. Dare I say it... what have we got to stick on it to drive response?

The tables have turned

With the growth of social media, proliferation of blogging, increasing role of search (paid and organic) - it is no longer an afterthought. It can't be. Good content has become the mainstay of effective marketing practice in all these disciplines. People turn to Google, Facebook, Wikipaedia, Linked in for answers and if us marketers can't provide answers in our areas of expertise, we're clearly missing a big trick.

Good content is now championed by all disciplines

Now we're in a position where good content is championed by lots of different channel specialists. You tend to go to an SEO specialist, a social media agency, ad agency and so on. The thing is everyone's coming at it in a different way. Not talking to each other. Duplicating content, resource and therefore cost.

This is why Marketing Clout was born

Will Davis posted this blog 'Why companies say they want social media when they really want content marketing...

I couldn't put it much better myself. Social media, like search is just a channel. Content is the hub. It's great content marketing that makes social media work, SEO effective, makes people respond to email campaigns. So we specialise in content. Get that right and pulling all the right levers to ensure your content gets seen is the easy part.

If you'd like to hear more about how we work - check out our content marketing engine

Read more posts on:

• Best Practice
• blogging
• content marketing
• content writing