Content Marketing: What is it exactly?

What Role Does Content Play in the Commercial Success of Your Organization? It’s a crucial question because many companies do not have the enormous budgets required for successful advertising. For many companies, the answer is “a subordinate role” simply because they do not fully understand what content marketing is and what it delivers. This article provides answers to the first question, “What is Content Marketing?”

The Rise of Content Marketing

Content marketing may sound like a buzzword to many, but as far back as 1931, tractor manufacturer John Deere created its own customer magazine to engage farmers. Content marketing has never really gone away since then, but it was overshadowed for a time by the massive reach and impact of (TV) commercials and advertisements. This extensive reach is diminishing, and more and more people are disconnecting, both physically and emotionally, from traditional advertising messages. Traditional TV is being replaced by on-demand services, and consuming media through smartphones, for example, is on the rise. So, companies are tasked with delivering messages that their target audience wants to hear—valuable and relevant content. Content Marketing, therefore, plays a central role in the online marketing strategy.

Content Marketing Definition

“Strategic marketing approach focused on creating and disseminating valuable and relevant content with the ultimate goal of attracting or retaining a specific target audience.”

Content Marketing as a Building Block for Positioning

Many companies struggle to clearly communicate their true differentiators, and their positioning is often indistinguishable from their main competitors. Even when companies understand the basis of their differentiation, they rarely succeed in conveying it effectively. This is why they often use vague terms like customer-centric, simplification, and innovation. Content Marketing uses elements such as articles, videos, newsletters, and white papers to build a relationship with the target audience—a relationship based on knowledge, experience, and trust, with a message that aligns with their positioning.

Content Marketing Example: American Express

American Express’s Open Forum platform is a good example of contemporary Content Marketing. On this platform, American Express provides small business owners with high-quality content to help them become more successful. Through videos and articles discussing topics like hiring the right people or exploring new sales channels, the company genuinely adds value for its customers. What does American Express gain from this? Firstly, it fosters loyalty and trust, and secondly, it occasionally promotes its own offerings.

The Use of Content Marketing

The use of content marketing continues to grow. Companies are spending relatively less on advertising space and more on creating good content. However, while the quality of the content is essential, it’s not the only factor. Content that nobody sees has limited value, and the next step is building your own audience, for example, through a newsletter or an active social media policy.

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