Lawrence Medina

Content marketing, what a strange phrase. What does it even mean? Well, I don’t think I really need to say what it’s all about, but that’s what I’ve been doing every time I talk about a new topic… So let’s begin.

What is Content Marketing

A straightforward concept that the original admen wished they could have utilized with every campaign. However, back then they were missing one key thing that would allow them to accomplish it. Content.

Advertising is very different from content, while an ad can be content it is not the heart of what makes up content marketing. Content marketing is a full course meal filled with all your necessary food groups. There’s your social media, your blog articles, neat graphics and designs, and even videos. These different parts are content, it’s what you feed your audience and how you get them to come back to you.

Content is just the way in which you deliver your message and how you intend to reach out to any one audience. Some schools of content are more effective than others, but that is simply because of the type of audience.

Generally, it’s a great idea to vary your content. Does every company need a blog? No. Should they have one? Yes. Why? Because it is a consistent source of content and it can be used to fuel other pieces of content.

Using Content to Fuel Content

Let’s look at a single blog article. You may think that it is an isolated piece of content, but that is far from the truth. You see, that one blog article can turn into a script for a video, a series of social media posts, or a wonderful infographic.

The reverse is true. If you focus primarily on creating graphics, then you can turn that content into a blog article or a social media campaign. Content is a cyclical creature. It can always be repurposed and reused because the moment it enters a different medium it’s a new piece of content.

Don’t look at your different pieces of content as isolated bubbles. Every single one can be implemented elsewhere. Even on different social media platforms. After all, what you throw on Twitter can’t be used the same way as Instagram or Facebook.

Understanding Content

To know what type of content you should be putting out there, you should first understand your audience. You don’t want to give satirical content to a straightforward audience, it wouldn’t be received well. Once you have a grasp on what any one particular audience enjoys, you can create content around them or with them in mind.

I would suggest the latter.

If you create content around audiences and become known for simply that, then it will be difficult to reach out to different audiences. Think of a comedian. If one comedian tells only raunchy jokes and gains their fanbase from that alone, then the moment they tell a clean joke their audience will feel like they are changing too drastically. Create a varied set of jokes, but always have one joke ready for that raunchy audience.

Creating content with a specific audience in mind will get that audience’s attention, while not alienating your fanbase. Essentially, don’t be known for only one thing.

Branding. Content. Branded Content.

Your brand is a separate entity from content. Your content is a separate entity from your brand. They don’t have to be.

Understanding your audience is a big part of your content, but if you’re attempting to build up a brand, then you need to take into account your brand, along with your audience and created branded content that appeals to your audience.

Put your brand colors and voice into every piece of content you create, let your audience know that you are the ones behind it, that THIS is your content for them.

Once you create branded content, you will be able to move onto the most important part of the content line.

Building your Community

Creating content is fun for any individual, but the best part of content creation is building a community. Every piece of content that captures the attention of a particular audience member has the potential of building your community.

Once you have the attention of a few people—who share, comment, and engage with your content, then you know you have the foundations of a community.

It will then be your job to keep creating the type of content—branded content that will satiate their appetite.