Some of the claims about content’s function within an online marketing campaign sound outlandish to new marketers. The studies, on the other hand, show that content is indeed essential for lead generation, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and email marketing.

Rather than retell the same story, we’ll throw out some non-traditional examples to help you better understand content’s role in online marketing.

Fuel in your tank

You need to fill your car’s petrol tank every so often. If you don’t, the engine will eventually power down.

Most people accept this fact without having to prove it to themselves. It’s not often you see someone trying to drive across the country without stopping for fuel.

In a much different way, content is a kind of fuel for online marketing campaigns. You need it to fill your website, share posts on social media, and maintain an email newsletter. According to this Forbes article, in addition to fueling all of these things, it also adds value:

“Content Marketing is all about non-egocentric (i.e., end-user-focused rather than product- or company-focused) content that helps buyers with their jobs and careers. This content adds value—that’s why it works. Yes, you can include a smidge of product content woven in with the value-based message.”

If you don’t agree, then put your content creation process to a halt and see what happens. We don’t recommend this since it’s likely to destroy your campaign, but it’ll hammer the point home.

Research in a thesis paper

The whole purpose of a thesis paper is to introduce an argument — your thesis — and use research to back it up. The research is there to convince the reader that your argument is substantial.

Sometimes you need content to present your product to consumers. Videos, blog posts, and infographics are great tools to explain what you’re offering and how they’ll benefit from it.

Featured artists on an album

Some of the best albums of the past decade are very collaborative in nature. Rather than doing everything himself, the main artist asks his peers to chip in and take some credit in the process.

No one says you have to exclusively share original content. Sometimes it’s better to do some research and share what you find with your target audience. According to this Entrepreneur article, roughly half of your social media posts should feature curated content:

“One of the best ways to build your brand’s online presence and grow your audience is by finding useful content and sharing it. In fact, one content-sharing rule suggests that five of every 10 social media updates you make should be content from others that is relevant to your audience.”

Content curation saves you time, increases the quality of your own content, and tells consumers what your brand is concerned about. Sharing pieces with your audience is an easy way to start a conversation with your followers on social media.

A direct line to a customer’s personal phone

Content can be very broad or very specific. Online marketing gives you plenty of opportunities to personalize your content.

One example is email marketing. Rather than sending one general message out to your entire subscriber list, you can send more personalised messages based on a target user’s demographics, interests, and behavior.

In addition, sending an email isn’t like sharing a social media post. This is a direct line you have to a user’s private life. Enter with caution, because not treating it with respect will lead to the revoking of your privilege.

Content comes in different shapes and sizes and takes on various roles within the context of an online marketing campaign. To talk more about content marketing, or anything else, contact us today.