Content marketing: are you up and running?

According to an Adobe survey of European marketers, 68% of them feel that the marketing profession has changed more in the last two years than it has in the previous 50 years.

Let's agree that the changes have been significant. And it's not made any easier by the fact that we in the industry are constantly coming up with new buzzwords that are more likely to confuse than clarify.

One such word is "content marketing". 

At the beginning of the 20th century, tire supplier Michelin established a guide to help car owners find hotels and places to eat along the way. The aim of the guide was, of course, to sell more tires. We all know what this guide is today.

So content marketing is something marketers have been working with for a long time. What's new is that, in recent years, we've seen a strong trend in marketing budgets being shifted from advertising in traditional media to the production of content in our own media.

Why content marketing?

We are all experiencing that trust in the media is decreasing and that the use of traditional sales channels is plummeting. We also know that 90% of buying processes take place online (Fleishman-Hillard). This makes it more interesting to work with communication in your own channels. Useful and relevant information, preferably in the form of well-told stories, is also likely to interest your target group. The winners are those who can deliver good perceived value to the target group!

What should your company do?

Marketers in 2014 should focus on content, but the content must of course reach and engage your target group.

To ensure the success of your content marketing, you need to start with the strategy behind it:

• A clear vision of what you want to achieve and your position in the market

• Good understanding of who your target group is

• Useful and relevant content in the campaign

• Sensible channel choices (web, social media, email, blog, video..)

The biggest challenge associated with content marketing is a lack of time to create value-adding content. That's where we can help.

Do you want help to get started in 2014? Get in touch with Vidar.