What is Content Marketing?

Every time a company produces a YouTube video, publishes a whitepaper on a hot topic, or creates a podcast, it is engaging in what is known as content marketing. Content marketing is simply creating and distributing information in a way that engages people. Companies are discovering that communicating with people can be far more effective than selling to them, and that content marketing is a great way to encourage communication.

The thinking is that if you deliver useful, interesting material -- or content -- you will build trust, loyalty, and new customers or new purchases.Let's take my local supermarket, for example. My supermarket produces a monthly magazine that is full of great recipes and healthy eating tips. Of course, to prepare the recipes, you need to buy the ingredients. I am unlikely to buy a specialty dipping sauce if I see it advertised, but I scoop it right up when I need it for a recipe that sounds delicious. Thanks to the supermarket magazine (content marketing), I am a happy customer because I enjoy the magazine and I am a better customer because I buy more products.

Here are a few more examples of good content marketing.

I write a lot of content for clients of Precision Marketing Group (PMG), a virtual marketing firm based in Massachusetts.  PMG recently created a Content Marketing Grader and published a white paper on content marketing. If you are interested in starting a content marketing program or improving your efforts, consider downloading these materials.