What Does Content Marketing “Really Mean?”

We do content marketing, and now you’re probably thinking we write a “Pride & Prejudice” every single day. And while one “Pride & Prejudice” is nice to have, too many of those is definitely a bad idea (all the women out there, you know what I’m talking about). Jokes aside, you don’t want to spend resources and energy creating THAT MUCH content; it’s boring and we all have a limit of how much text we are willing to read every day. But does it mean that content marketing is boring and interests only sad librarians? Yeah …. no, not at all.

Sorry to let you down, I am no Jane Austen and content is not just text. So, when you hear from us that you should be producing more content, here’s what we mean. 

Text

Duh … this is the most obvious one. We have to cover it, because it is one of the most popular ways of communication (I’m doing it right now!) and is definitely one of the easiest forms to produce, distribute, and store. Text can be transfered from one medium to another without losing much of its power, while other forms always require a bunch of technical specifications that are needed for storing or distribution.

Image

Ever noticed how a single image can change your attitude towards an article or idea? A single heart-breaking photo from a war zone is enough to set a wake-up call for the entire world, while a dozen stats and texts need to work an additional muscle to accomplish the task. It’s the power of our visual sense.

No matter how much soul you put in your text, content that has a relevant image gets 94% more views than content without one. So, why are we all not using only image? That would not be smart, as every type of content has its mission; if your reader is searching for detailed information and is ready to dive in, they will read your text, no matter how long it is. If the content you’re producing is meant for the awareness stage of the Buyer’s Journey and you need to communicate your message quickly and effectively, a photo or image is a better choice.

So, here’s a question to you, how many photos & images do you publish weekly? Monthly? Can your customers see  your product or service online before they buy?

Video

If your images are failing, activate video production! 51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. Videos are so powerful, we might not quit watching if our curiousity is sufficiently aroused. And of course, something that effective comes with a bigger cost, which is why video production is generally more expensive and takes longer than the previous two content types.

Think about it, if you can show your customers how friendly your plumbing experts are, how your customers are enjoying their infinity pool you built for them last month, how great the new business processes you helped a company set up are … isn’t it more convincing than a thousand words? So, if you’ve got the budget and no videos, get down to script writing.

Can’t decide? There’s more on the menu.

Explainer Videos – Still want to communicate “words?” Combine text and video to create explainer videos, use all the magic animation tools have.

Gifs – The Internet is obsessed with gifs; we know it, and you know it. With more and more websites supporting this format, a witty gif can go viral overnight.

Infographics – You think infographics are a new thing? If you think about it, they are older than photos. Imagine one of your curious ancestors “drawing” information on the wall of his cozy cave. That was an infographic!

Here’s more about the history of infographics. Keep scrolling!

Ready to wrap up?

60% of marketers create at least one piece of content each day, says eMarketer, so are they all typing text every day? I don’t think so. Don’t make your marketing boring, make it easy-to-digest, helpful, and enjoyable … even if it’s the good old text.

Wait, don’t leave!

You wonder why you need all that content anyway? Here’s the answer: the Zero Moment of Truth! It’s what your customers do when they have a problem or a question; they go online and they start searching for content that answers their questions or solves their problems. While I can’t tell that story right here, I can recommend our free ebook that does the job excellently. See the free download link below.