Content marketing has been all the rage last year and probably will be in 2013. But while some may see it as something new and the magic solution to all of ones online challenges, what is it really? (Image credit: Flickr)
To answer the question one needs to realize that there are thousands and thousands of content creators out there, however what matters is how the search engines and especially the likes of Google views content and the authors of the content. Google Authorship is the reason why content marketing is important. Google wants to verify and validate the content, and the author in order to avoid spammy sites. While verification involves letting Google know who you are, the upside for being known is you rank higher in the search results. This is a simplistic explanation but I hope you get the point.
So what exactly is content marketing – really nothing more than being able to tell a good story that engages with customers and potential customers. Really good marketers know how to share good stories. Stories that draw people in and make them feel a connection. when a connection is made, the likelihood of sharing the story increases. Hence the growth in social media.
Takeaways for content marketing in 2013 –
Listen to your audience
Serve up stories that solves their pain
Use media to tell your stories in media they prefer – audio, video, text etc
Here’s an interesting perspective from Forbes –
Back in 2006, Seth Godin wrote a post: How To Tell A Great Story. In it, he summarized a number of great points: “Most of all, great stories agree with our world view. The best stories don’t teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place.”
So what are you doing in 2013 to make your content marketing work for your business?
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