Think 'content marketing' is just more jargon? Ever the skeptic, I decided to approach it like a scientist.
Me, back in the lab days.
Let's be honest...
It’s time to own up to a few things. Although I’ve been a copywriter for several years, I didn’t fully understand the term ‘content marketing’ before I joined forces with my sisters. GASP. To me, it sounded like another marketing buzzword. A flash in the pan.
For those that know me, this probably isn’t that surprising. Before starting my copywriting career, I worked as a cancer research scientist. I spent my post-college years donning a white lab coat and peering down a microscope. I've been trained to question everything!
So, I’ll admit it—I Googled the heck out of the term ‘content marketing’ and asked my marketing-savvy sisters to explain it to me in our early meetings. How exactly is it different than advertising? What's a blog post have to do with ROI?
Turns out, I was overthinking it. Simply put, content marketing is creating and distributing high-quality content in order to give your audience a meaningful experience with your brand. It's those meaningful experiences that drive profitable customer action and inspire customer loyalty. As a web copywriter and blogger, I'd already been practicing 'content marketing' for years.
Finding the perfect formula
When it comes to producing successful content, there are several variables at play, including:
- Clarity
- Relevance
- Usefulness
- Entertainment value
- Authenticity
- Credibility
- Curb appeal (metaphorically speaking)
Another important one? Honesty. See—I'm practicing what I preach!
Although there isn't an exact formula for creating impactful content, making sure it contains several of the above variables will increase its visibility and 'shareability' significantly.
Refining your hypotheses
During my research years, the more time I spent in the lab, the better I became at predicting what experiments would work and what wouldn't. The same is true of content. The more content I produce, the better I get at hypothesizing what audiences will enjoy and find useful.
However, it's important to note that, in both fields, it pays to think creatively. As much as I want to boil content creation down to a science, some of the best examples of brilliant content marketing are those that caught me by surprise—the ideas nobody else thought of or could have predicted. It's with these 'so-crazy-it-just-might-work' ideas that you can really make a breakthrough.
For more information on how content marketing can boost your brand, don't hesitate to get in touch.