What is Content Marketing and How Does it Work? [Answers for 2023]
If I were to choose one word that gets thrown around way too often, it would be “content.” Used by virtually anyone who works with media, this word’s a catch-all.
Blog posts? That’s content. Social media? Yep, that too. In fact, emails, videos, and podcasts all fit under the big tent of content.
And even though we use this word a lot (myself included), it’s probably not going out of style anytime soon. That’s because content marketing just—well—works.
What is content marketing?
Essentially, content marketing is the consumable media a business creates. And the goal? Making revenue from that media. Content marketing allows you to use written, visual, or audio content to promote your product or services, and in many cases, show the benefits of your product organically.
So, what does that mean? If you make quality content, people are more willing to learn about your business.
In fact, you can bet consumers want one of two things:
Education
Entertainment
And it’s up to you to make something educational or entertaining, while organically making your business part of the story.
But don’t take my word for it. Businesses are obsessed with making great content, with 83% of companies increasing their content production budget this year alone.
And what does that budget look like in the first place, exactly? Well, experts suggest allocating 25 to 30% of your total marketing budget to content marketing.
If that sounds excessive, keep in mind that businesses with blogs get 126% more leads (people interested in becoming customers) than companies without blogs. Plus, 64% of brands with very successful content can point to an existing, dedicated content marketing strategy.
In other words, the more effort you devote to content marketing, the more success you could experience in the long run.
What is content marketing’s purpose?
So, why use content marketing as opposed to a more direct form of advertising? For one thing, commercialism is ingrained into our culture—so much so that we often ignore traditional forms of advertising.
The chances of you clicking on a banner ad are extremely rare, for instance; 33% of people are willing to pay additional money to watch television and videos commercial-free.
So, where does that leave advertisers? In order to get in front of consumers, they’re forced to go above and beyond traditional advertising with content marketing. In other words, they must meet consumers where they currently are. They can do this by answering questions, partnering with influencers, delivering news, or telling great stories.
What is content marketing: examples
Blog posts
Customer stories
Guides
Ebooks
Email newsletters
Short-form video content (e.g. TikTok, Instagram)
Long-form video content (e.g. YouTube)
Podcasts
Social media posts
Written content marketing: what you need to know
There’s an endless trove of written content available to us at any given moment. (As Bo Burham says, some better, some worse.)
But with the right strategy, SEO, and quality, you can create successful content—rather than getting buried by all the writing that came before. And when people read your writing, they’ll hopefully get an introduction to your brand.
Take Neil Patel, the SEO expert. His written content follows a very intentional path:
1. Visitors Google a search term
2. They find his site in the first page of results
3. They click the link to read the blog
4. While on the blog, they see even better content behind a subscription wall
5. They enter their email address
6. They’re now subscribed, engaging with his content consistently
You’ll notice how good content marketing builds internally, using different channels to appeal to customers. In the above example, Neil Patel first uses SEO to bring people to his blog, then uses an email newsletter to keep them coming back again and again.
Sensory content marketing: What you need to know
As we mentioned above, content can be broken down into two main categories: education and entertainment. Your sensory content marketing (videos, podcasts, and social media) should complete one of those goals. What’s more, this can build on other forms of content, like the blog example we just talked about.
Take the lifestyle blog, A Beautiful Mess. The founders now have a podcast that seeks to teach and entertain listeners, earning revenue through sponsorships. And like Neil Patel’s blog, the podcast is integrated with multiple marketing channels.
Let’s say someone listens to the podcast:
1. In this episode, the brand references supplementary show notes
2. These show notes can be found on the brand’s website:
3. The show notes contain links to blog posts that further explain what listeners have heard
4. Since the show notes live on the brand’s website, there are other channels advertised, like email and social media
5. Finally, the brand can earn more ad and affiliate revenue as visitors click through the site, become subscribers, and follow the brand on social media
And if you’re feeling a little unsure about more sensory media, consider that businesses are actually investing more in video and podcasts than before.
While these mediums are different from blogs and guides, they are still excellent for layering your content strategy.
Conclusion
As you can see, content marketing isn’t always straightforward. But as a popular, lucrative form of advertising, it’s not going anywhere, because it seamlessly connects a wide variety of channels. You can combine virtually any form of marketing with content to appeal to visitors and customers.
And sure, maybe you’re tired of hearing “content” everywhere you go. (Understandable.) Still, I would argue it’s an overused term because we get so much out of the content we consume. After all, we’re a culture that wants to learn skills, understand current events, and you know, have a laugh.
So, what kind of content are you producing, and can you organically incorporate your business goals into it?
If you’re lost on a strategy, we can help. Our brand is built on helping other brands develop plans to succeed. You can contact us here for a free consultation, or check out our services to learn more.
