Explaining content marketing to your family and friends (and your boss).

Content marketing has been around for a while now. But when the Content Marketing Institute conducted a survey, they found that a lot of organizations were still just getting started with it. These were usually the people who did hear of all the myths listed above and believed in them for so long, that they were either just publishing content all too randomly or were doing nothing at all.

Here’s how to explain what content marketing really is to anyone:

Ask them about the newspaper they read every morning.

Now ask them why they read that newspaper every day.

Most likely they’re going to tell you how it shares information with them that helps them take better decisions on buying stocks, making purchases, planning their days ahead, yada yada yada.

Tell them ‘that is content marketing’.

The content they read in that newspaper every day is not trying to sell them products or services. It is educating them about what is happening around them, what kind of problems are surfacing, what kind of solutions people are coming up with and more.

No, I’m not including those full page ads into this definition because let’s face it, no one takes a look at those unless the likes of Amazon are offering a 50% site wide discount!

If your boss is still not convinced and you, as a marketer, still need to explain what content marketing is, try this explanation instead:

Content marketing is not meant to be the same as the traditional product-led marketing. It’s not meant to be a sales collateral and it definitely is not restricted to product-specific information.

Content marketing includes things like educational articles, ebooks, infographics, webinars, videos, answers to frequently asked questions, documented help articles. The tactic focuses on answering questions that an audience may have and providing them with value they will not find on any other platform.

The tactic focuses on making you a credible, authoritative resource on topics that matter to your potential customers. This helps your business earn their trust and loyalty, leading to strengthening your customer relationships. Which if I may say, effectively leads to growing an active and engaged subscriber base, that is more likely to convert into customers when nurtured.

Yes, it takes time.

But it’s way more effective than shoving a product or a service into someone’s face only for them to realise that they don’t need it, a month down the line.

I know I have left you in a tight spot.

You’re probably wondering that if this is what content marketing is and most of what you knew about the tactic has been a myth, how exactly are you supposed to get started with content marketing.

Well, I’m glad I got you to this point.

While I initially started this guide out simply to bust some of the content marketing myths I had been endlessly hearing about (and getting irritated with), I figured I couldn’t leave you hanging with what content marketing is not.

I need to tell you what it is as well (which I just did) and how you can get started – which I just will.