In 1996, Bill Gates published an essay on the Microsoft website titled, ‘Content is King.’ In it, Gates speculated that content would be the true lifeblood of the internet. His foresight was correct, and here we are over a quarter of a century later living in a digital world inundated with content.
Since Gates published his original essay, we’ve seen the birth of social media, the advent of search and display marketing, the early disruptions from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, major shifts towards more digital habits, voice search and so much more. Honestly, we could write another full blog about the trends that have come about in the past 3 years alone. With each of these trends came new tactics and accompanying best practice. While some stuck, others disappeared almost as quickly as they came. Yet through all the trends and disruptions, one tactic has remained evergreen: content marketing.
What is it about content marketing that has allowed it to withstand the test of time? Most of its value can likely be distilled down to its adaptability. Content is pliable, able to be moulded into whatever we need it to be for whatever purpose we may need it to fulfil. Formats changed, and content changed to suit them. As tactics and tools evolved, so did the content used.
That’s why so many of the new tools and tactics that have sprung up throughout the past 20 years were built with content at their core. Take social media, for example. Social platforms are purely content driven and essentially cannot exist without it. What would Instagram be if no one posted on the feed or uploaded stories? What would you find on YouTube if no one created and uploaded videos? SEO is another trend that took marketing by storm in recent years. Most of the ranking for SEO was driven by various factors within a site’s content, such as keywords or overall quality. These are just two examples, but you could pick any marketing trend or tactic from the past decade, and it would still link back to content somehow.
There must be a reason why tactics, formats, and tools grew around content rather than evolving beyond it. When you stop to consider why that might be, it becomes abundantly clear why content is still king after all this time.
Content Builds Brands
Who you are as a business, what you stand for, what you offer the marketplace, and what purpose you serve are all communicated through the content you produce. In order to be successful, your brand should be consistently represented across every touch point and every interaction. Your website, blog, social media, and third-party media content all contribute to the overall story you are telling, and make it possible for you to shape how you are perceived by your existing and prospective customers. Having the narrative in your own hands is an incredibly powerful capability.
Not only that, but your content can help you build authority and thought leadership. You can take ownership of specific topics in your industry simply by producing quality content associated with those subjects. That way, when your customers or industry peers go searching, your relevant content makes you easy to find. Having a clear voice in the right conversations can help you build credibility with your audiences and open new doors.
Content Attracts Audiences
Targeting is a major challenge for any marketer. How do you align your brand with the customers you would like to do business with, or how do you attract ideal customers to you? Typically, you cast your net via the content you produce. The imagery used, the language and tone you adopt, and the topics you discuss can help you to align yourself with audiences who resonate with your brand. That way, you end up attracting more of the right customers instead of wasting time on those who may not identify with your business’s persona.
Content Often Kickstarts the Customer Journey
Your content is often the first impression a customer will have of your business. Whether they’ve stumbled across one of your posts on social media, read an article you produced, or came across your website in a search, what they find within your content will often spark make-or-break decision making regarding whether they will choose to continue down the funnel and do business with you. Ensuring that your content is of good quality, conveys the right messages, and contains adequate information to help inform that decision making can help to make that first impression a strong one.
Content Lives On and On
Trends in the consumer market are cyclical, and you never know when something that was once topical will return to the forefront. The good news is that once you publish a piece of content, it will continue to live on online and bring value. Good content takes time and attention to generate, so being able to maximise your team’s efforts is incredibly valuable.
The list of content marketing’s benefits stretches on and on, and therefore it’s safe to assume that this tactic isn’t going anywhere any time soon. If you’d like some help with your content strategy or are looking to outsource your content creation to an expert team, get in touch with us.