9 out of 10 business leaders don't know what content marketing is

Do you know what content marketing is? Nowadays, anyone who is concerned with the question of which marketing strategies are suitable for their own company and the associated products or services cannot avoid the term "content marketing". But what exactly is this content marketing that is getting more and more attention and how can it be useful to a company? If you want to learn more about this content-based marketing method, this article has the solution for you. It serves as an introduction to the concept and should help the reader get an overview of the methods and possibilities in content marketing. Take advantage of content marketing and let customers find their own way to you!

What is content marketing anyway?

The English word "content" translates to the German word "Inhalt" -and that's what content marketing is all about. Content is everywhere, in every sentence that is written, in every video, picture, post and even in what we say. Content marketing takes advantage of that very content. Unlike outbound marketing with its direct push method, where some pressure to buy is exerted on customers through targeted promotion of a product, content marketing belongs to inbound marketing. It is a more subtle means of contacting potential as well as existing customers and binding them to the company. Here, the company provides the target group with attractive and interesting information that is relevant to the product or company, but does not directly contain an invitation to buy.This content provided goes far beyond simple product descriptions. Content of this type includes blog entries, apps, surveys, studies, advice, downloads, and videos.

The possibilities are of great variety and can therefore always be tailored to the company. For example, a manufacturer of sports shoes can provide its customers with interesting and worthwhile information on the subject of "running" and provide running plans for download or even videos on the subject. The customer can find out about the topic and use the downloads provided without a direct request to buy being made to him. He thus receives added value, which leaves a positive impression and increases the willingness to buy. While content marketing can be carried out in any form of media and be successful, the Internet has established itself as a main distribution medium for this form of marketing. Here the advantages are found in a variety of possibilities and the advantage that very many members of a target group can be reached at the same time.

Why Content Marketing?

One of the most important differences between the push method of outbound marketing and content marketing is the fact that the target group is no longer flooded with unwanted advertising. Whether advertising flyers, print ads, or Internet banners and pop-ups - advertising often appears exactly where the customer does not want it and may not even have time to deal with it. It is often perceived as intrusive and annoying and is therefore usually ignored. This is quite different with content marketing: the information conveyed is designed to be virtually free of advertising and simply gives the prospect the information they have been looking for and are interested in. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the posts in content marketing are always of high quality and bring with them a benefit for the prospect. In this way, the prospect is brought together with the company and its products or services on a voluntary basis and can simply form a positive impression via the added value offered, which also further enhances the company's image.

Instead of being pushed to make a purchase, the customer is introduced to the company in a kind of pull process without having to feel pressured in any way by advertising. Content marketing is therefore also a method of customer advertising that is ideally not perceived as advertising by the customer. In contrast to the push method, there is no danger in content marketing that product advertising will simply be ignored. Since the content is specific, highly informative and free of advertising, it attracts precisely those potential customers who are interested in the topics offered. Once the customers' interest has been aroused and a positive impression has been created, this often has a positive effect on attracting new prospective customers.

But content marketing also has other advantages. For example, it enables the company to enter into direct dialog with interested parties and customers via websites and social media. As a result, the company also receives more frequent and faster feedback and suggestions on the products and services it offers and can continuously align itself better with the needs of the target group.
High-quality content is the linchpin of content marketing. It not only has a positive effect on the acquisition of prospective customers and the image, it also increases visibility on the Internet. For some time now, content has also been an important criterion for positioning in the results list of online search engines. Content is therefore also an important component of search engine optimization (SEO).

How does content marketing actually work?

Content marketing offers opportunities that can bring advantages and create flexibility, especially in today's fast-changing times. But what is necessary for successful content marketing and what needs to be considered?

In the beginning, as in most cases, there is a plan. It is important to be clear about what your goals are and how you hope to achieve them. The goals can be divided into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals, as the name implies, include relatively quickly achievable goals. For example, attracting new visitors or generating backlinks and social buzz fall into this goal category. Other goals, such as building a loyal user and customer base or creating a positive image, on the other hand, take longer to show results. They are therefore defined as long-term goals.

Once the goals are defined, priorities should be set. Not all goals can be fully served at the same time. Which goal is most important, which is rather unimportant? Content production should be tailored to achieve the main goal, but not disregard subordinate goals. The creation of a schedule can be helpful here. This determines when and how often content is to be published on certain topics or to achieve certain goals. This creates a structure that is not only useful in content marketing, but also makes an organized and orderly impression on the user.

Target group determination in content marketing

Creating a plan and setting goals is already a great first step toward content marketing. However, the plan and goals are useless until it is clear who the target audience for the content is. It is therefore necessary to further define this target group and to deal with what exactly their members are interested in. The content that is produced for them should be tailored directly to them and deal with their problems, questions, wishes and interests. This is the only way to guarantee that the target group actually finds its way to the newly created content. The areas in which the interests of the intended target group overlap in some way with the competencies and products of the company are best suited as content material.

How do you produce good content?

Content production may seem like an insurmountable hurdle at first. So many articles that need to be written, so many possibilities that need to be considered. Often, however, a company already has material from previous marketing campaigns that can certainly be reprocessed as content. In addition, it also makes perfect sense to divide larger topics into smaller blocks and publish them gradually in content form. Content can take many forms, for example:

• Blog entries
• Newsletter
• Videos
• Social media appearances
• Images, graphics, etc.
• ebooks
• Apps

Depending on the target audience, some forms will be more suitable for content publishing, others less so. This once again shows why it is important to always pay attention to the target group. Ideally, individual content posts will be linked together. For example, an entry on a social media platform can link to a blog entry, which in turn links to a video or app that fits the topic. It also makes sense to provide the user with further interesting links to content on a similar topic to encourage him to stay on the company's pages.

As already mentioned, content marketing is a strategy to let the customer find his own way to the company. Since he should not be put off by unwanted product advertising and requests to buy, it is of utmost importance to keep the content free of irritating advertising. It should contain relevant information on the chosen topic, provide possible solutions and give the potential customer the feeling that he has been helped in his search for information. Only when the user receives added value from the content without feeling pressured into making a purchase can the content be considered successful.

Content marketing and customer dialog

While content is, of course, at the heart of content marketing, there is another factor that should not be overlooked: the opportunity to engage directly with users and customers. Whether on social media platforms, a blog, or the company's own website, content marketing should give users the opportunity to have their say. In this way, the company receives quick and often constructive feedback and can engage directly with the target group. The possibility of direct dialog increases the sense of community and strengthens the trust of users and can provide the company with valuable ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Control and analysis of content marketing

The social media platforms have been opened, a blog has been set up, the content marketing concept has been created and the first content articles have already been published. Is that it? No. Content marketing is a constantly changing and expanding process that requires regular planning and review. Just because a start has been made does not automatically mean lasting success. To be truly successful, there should be regular analysis of each item in the marketing plan. It is important to see how successful the published content is. What kind of posts are successful, i.e. generate many links, have many likes or are often shared? Which ones tend to be less successful and would be better deleted or replaced in the future? Have goals been met and can be replaced or revised? Which goals experience little change and need more attention? Are there user suggestions which can be implemented? There are many details which need to be reviewed at regular intervals and updated if necessary. Only a careful and constant analysis of the content marketing process can ultimately lead to the sorting out of unfavorable posts and tactics and make the content marketing strategy a lasting success.