You may have heard the phrase “content is king.”
The expression is used frequently by some marketers. But what is content? It’s often a blanket word used to describe various forms of media published online. From video and text to images, content is more than what one word lets on. And its capacity to help a company define and grow (or fail), is something that needs to be clearly understood.
We discuss what content is, how it’s being used for marketing, and how your business can leverage it.
Content explained
“Content is king” is also the title of an article by Bill Gates in which he wrote about how the internet provides a wealth of opportunity for most companies to supply information and entertainment. This is even more true today. For example, YouTube didn’t exist when Gates’ article first came out. And we know now that video is one of the most popular choices for content consumption.
Video aside, what else falls under the definition of “content?” Blog articles, infographics, how-to guides, white papers—the list goes on. In today’s world, businesses can leverage each of these various sources of information for marketing. Having those assets easy to find online can increase the digital footprint associated with an organization or business and grow brand awareness, among other benefits.
People like to associate with brands that they feel connected to and creating content that is helpful or engaging strengthens that bond.
Quality vs. quantity
Before you burn yourself out publishing a new blog post or video every day, consider the quality of the content you’re creating. While quantity matters, having a library of content that fails to engage, inform, or help consumers solve a problem will likely fall flat.
Whether it’s not ownable, poorly designed, has multiple errors, or is difficult to understand, low-quality content reflects poorly on your business or organization.
Let’s explore five steps to creating quality content.
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First, strategize. Start by thinking of your ideal customer and content you could develop to help answer their questions, educate them on a topic, or entertain them. Research how and where your content should be shared.
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Set goals. What do you hope to achieve with your content? How will success be measured? These are some questions to consider before developing and publishing.
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Create!
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Publish and distribute the content in the places you identified in step one. These could be social media, blog posts, newsletters, etc.
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Analyze performance and adapt content to align with your organization’s content strategy.
Just as quality and quantity are important to consider, so is consistency. Not every video will receive hundreds of views, nor will every blog post receive dozens of shares. With consistent, high-quality content, however, you build credibility with your audience, providing a cohesive experience and a lasting connection.
Why does content matter?
Developing and publishing content can help businesses generate leads, build trust, and be positioned as an expert in an industry.
At ddm, we create content with a focus always fixed on the big picture of why the content is being created in the first place. Our ability to craft engaging content and stories, created with the target audience in mind, can contribute to long-lasting connections.