Remember that ad that aired in the middle of your favorite television show this past weekend?
Neither does anybody else.
Why? Because it no longer matters how cleverly written, how dramatic, or timely the advertisement is. The audience – just like Pavlov’s dog – has adapted. Just because content has been inserted into opportune space, it no longer means that anyone will actually absorb it.
After decades of hearing “For a limited time only …” viewers have learned to tune out. This is the part where someone tries to sell you something you don’t need. And the sad thing is, maybe you actually do need it. Maybe it’s the exact product you have been coveting for months. Maybe this product is the one that would revolutionize your life.
Too bad, because you were already in the kitchen retrieving a cold beer before the opening jingle ended.
Online content works the same way. You can own the biggest, most colorful ad on the site and readers still won’t see it. They’ve conditioned themselves to just keep moving.
This is why you must learn the fine art of content marketing.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a way of connecting with visitors on your website without blatantly bombarding them with sales pitches that they’re only going to ignore.
Content marketing tugs at the heart of your reader, pulling it into a warm, loving embrace and refuses to let go until he’s made the conversion you had in mind.
Let’s go back to the beer. Let’s say you own a brick-and-mortar liquor store in a small town. You’ve placed ads pointing to your establishment across social media. You’ve invested in pay-per-click ads on major search engines. Business has increased a little.
A little.
But not as much as you were expecting. And you spent A LOT of money on both campaigns.
So you hired a marketing guru to help you out, and what’s the first thing she did?
She used her vast knowledge to log on and create a website and a blog for your business. The website shows a photo of your liquor store from the street, a map of where you’re located, your phone number, your business address, and a link to your blog with the enticing, clickable headline, “More Beer Here.”
When visitors to your site click on your blog link, they’re introduced to a world of interesting and relevant articles pertaining to their favorite pastime – drinking beer. There are no blatant ads on your blog, just valuable, relevant content. Your articles have titles like “Seven Best-Tasting Craft Beers” and “Your Guide to Undiscovered Brands.”
What is content marketing? It is content that exists to draw readers in, educate them and show them you care about their interests. Once you establish yourself as the local authority on beer – guess where the locals will shop?
Content marketing is interesting and memorable. It is full of quality information that your visitors want to learn, and it pertains to your product.
Join us at Content Marketing Conference, May 12-14, 2015 in Vegas to become a content marketing master.