How to Explain Content Marketing to Anyone [Fresh Examples]

“That’s content marketing,” I explained. It was an aha moment for my husband’s understanding of content marketing – content marketing is educational but is not about the products the company sells. For instance, The Care and Keeping of You is a book all about growing up for girls. It ranks second in its category (and 71st most popular among all books on Amazon). Content marketing explained to marketers Hopefully, those examples make it clear that content marketing isn’t about the brand, your products, or your services. It’s about your audience. Content marketing includes things like educational articles, e-books, videos, entertainment, and webinars that answer specific questions people have and provide them with something they can’t get elsewhere. EXAMPLE: Outdoor retailer REI does a great job of answering questions and assisting its audience through content. To build an interested and engaged audience Your content is only as valuable as its ability to attract audience members and compel them to engage with your business on an ongoing basis — as subscribers, customers, evangelists, or, ideally, all three. To build increased revenue with existing customers Another reason organizations use content marketing is to create more loyal customers, which has the potential to increase sales through cross-selling or up-selling.

Author: Michele Linn / Source: Content Marketing Institute

Editor’s note: Explaining content marketing is a never-ending challenge. That’s why we’re bringing back this post from last year with some updated examples.

The concept of content marketing has been around for hundreds of years (see an example from 1672), and the discipline has gained incredible popularity since 2010, according to Google Trends.

google-trends-content-marketing-2004-present

But, when CMI launched its e-book that answers common content marketing questions, it learned many readers are just getting started. For those in that category – or those who encounter misperceptions or misunderstanding about what content marketing is – I offer a quick rundown for easy reference.

Content marketing as your family would understand

When people ask what you do, does your response receive a quizzical look? “So, what is it exactly that you do,” they ask after you explain your job.

My husband was in this camp until he told me about a newsletter that covers trends affecting financial markets. He looks forward to receiving it each day. He explained that the newsletters didn’t have anything to do with the funds the broker was selling, but the information was solid and valuable – and it was useful research for the investments he makes.

I can share another example that is close to my daughter’s heart. American Girl uses content to transform something that is a commodity – a doll.

American Girl has so much content – and so many content experiences – for its audience that it’s truly staggering. For instance, it offers:

In-person events and experiences (lunch with your doll at the store café, special events such as painting or fireworks, or even hotel packages that accommodate your child and doll)
Games
Videos
Quizzes

While all the ways American Girl connects to its audience are too numerous to cover in this one post, I’m particularly amazed by its print publications. For instance, The Care and Keeping of You is a book all about growing up for girls. It ranks second in its category (and 71st most popular among all books on Amazon). It’s from a brand selling dolls – but the subject has nothing to do with the dolls.

In short, American Girl’s content marketing focuses on how a child can interact with the doll or things that are important to this demographic.

For parents, think about BabyCenter. When I was pregnant and then raising my older daughter, I considered BabyCenter to be required reading. It’s a perfect example of content marketing. According to its website, it is the No. 1 pregnancy and parenting digital destination, and eight in 10 new and expectant moms online use BabyCenter each month. The site is owned by Johnson & Johnson, which sells products for babies.

Content marketing explained to marketers

Hopefully, those examples make it clear that content marketing isn’t about the brand, your products, or your services. It’s about your audience. What do they care about?

And, more importantly, how can you be the one to provide something no one else is, which in turn elevates your brand from a commodity to something people embrace?

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