The type of advertising that worked decades ago doesn’t connect with this generation. People skip TV commercials, their eyes have become attuned to zoning out online ads, and they rarely buy magazines or newspapers. That is why another kind of advertising has become king, content marketing.
The Content Marketing Institute says that content marketing is a marketing tactic where “instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.”
One of the first companies to use content marketing was John Deere, when in 1895 they published a magazine about farming called The Furrow, which now has a 1.5 million circulation. In 1904, Jell-O gave out free copies of a Jell-O recipe book that contributed to sales of over $1 million by 1906.
Now we see content marketing everywhere as companies try to share useful information on social networking sites with their customers, and have company blogs in which they share tips and stories they hope their customers can benefit from.
According to the Roper Public Affairs, 80 percent of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement, and 70 percent say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while 60 percent say that company content helps them make better product decisions.
Of course you can’t just write any content. Even if it is well-written and has wonderful information, if it’s not what the target audience is looking for, they won’t take interest in it or share it on social sites. Content Marketing for Dummies says the key to writing shareworthy content is to, “Deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time in the right place.”
Fahrenheit Marketing’s strategy is content-based. We analyze our clients’ target audiences and then write the best content that will help their customers and as a result help our clients’ businesses. To learn more about our content marketing, contact Fahrenheit Marketing today.