‘Content Marketing’… we hear it often, but what is it truly? Simply put, content is the creation of photos, videos, memes, blogs, or captions that people put into the online world. Marketing is the act of making others aware of it. Content is the information we all consume online, in our news feeds, and in the ads that stalk us incessantly.
Gone are the days of old school ad agencies facilitating big spending on tv, radio, and newspaper. Just a few decades ago, only the titans with a hefty budget could afford to advertise and get their message into the world. Social media completely leveled the playing field for everyone. Anyone can have a voice, build a brand, and attract their audience with the content they put out; without even spending a dime.
When was the last time you listened to the radio and endured hours of ads? Most of us would rather pay the fee on a streaming service, never listen to a paid ad again, and not even noticing that we are inundated on social media with messaging. This is because it comes across as authentic content that entertains us, engages us or educates us. It resonates with us or elicits an emotional response, and we appreciate the time that company took to speak directly to us.
Our world was recently rocked by a pandemic, an election and several changes to the way we are able to advertise digitally and who we can target. Yet one digital marketing principal remains true- content is still queen.
It’s human nature to look for the easy way out. To find automations and processes that replace human interactions and the time spent facilitating them; to work smarter, not harder. But we seem to be forgetting one thing. The most important thing: Humans do business with HUMANS. Not bots, not funnels, not automations and definitely not spam messages, emails and ads.
Especially now when consumer privacy is paramount, the way you attract people online to your brand is of the utmost importance. It’s found in the content brands are putting out on social media platforms. Is your content generic, boring and irrelevant? Or is it authentic, bold, pushing the boundaries between following advertising guidelines while still being hilarious or profound?
The ad agencies of old did one thing exceptionally well. They cared about PEOPLE. They wined and dined their clients. They spent time with them outside the agency, they got to know who they truly were as people and why they cared so much about their brands. They invested thousands into learning which ads would speak to their audience while also honoring their client’s personal beliefs and philosophies. It was an art that has not been lost on the content creators of today.
Social media took that away from us, for a time. We became impersonal, used filters to hide our true selves and only posted the highlight reels of our lives to elicit envy and jealousy from others. But now, especially now that we’ve survived the last few years of lock downs, restrictions, and division amongst ourselves, we crave connection more than ever. This is why authentic content marketing will always emerge victorious.
No matter what we go through, humans are wired for connection to other humans. No matter how many dollar bills we make through bots and automations, if all of that were stripped away, I’d hope we’d still have relationships and people to see us through the hardest of times.
How are you connecting with your people? As the landscape of marketing changes yet again, I urge you to utilize your voice online, through social media platforms, to spread your message in an authentic and unapologetic way that attracts your audience, keeps them engaged with your brand and connects with them in a way that no other form of marketing can do.
Author Bio: Kelli Maxwell is the CEO and Founder of Ember Marketing Group based in Billings, MT USA. Kelli is nationally known as the “Content Queen” and has in innate ability to authentically amplify her client’s brand and voice through the content she and her agency create for them. Learn more at embermg.com
