There seems to be some confusion about what content marketing is.
And isn’t.
When marketers think about content, they often want persuasive hype in the headline and a hard offer in the close. When sales people think about content, they want an about-me page with features and benefits.
But neither of these approaches is right.
Content isn’t collateral
In a sense, yes, content is collateral in that it supports the entire length of the sales funnel. But it’s not the same as a brochure or sell sheet.
It may be more accurate to think of content as a product, but one that brings a prospect into the funnel or draws him deeper into it.
Notice the words, brings and draws, in that sentence.
Content isn’t about selling. Not yet, at any rate. It isn’t hard sell. It’s soft sell, much like PR. Its purpose is to influence, to make your prospect align his thinking with yours so the sale will be easier to achieve.
The point of content
The confusion may arise from its moniker: Content Marketing.
The point of marketing is to reach a targeted group of people and compel them to buy your product or service. Content, on the other hand, is about attracting and influencing the thinking of a targeted group of people.
Marketing generates revenue. Content generates and secures prospects.
Of course, in the end, the point is the same: more sales.
It’s simply that high-quality content will plug any holes in the sales funnel, preventing people from opting out, and create a slippery slope that moves people more quickly toward the close.
Here’s why it matters
The truth is, people are lazy. They don’t have the time or energy to weigh the pros and cons about every issue in their lives. They honestly want to be told what to think.
That’s why they rely so heavily on social proof to make their decisions. They trust the majority, because if everyone else has adopted an idea, it must be sound.
But they also trust a peer. Someone they believe has their best interest at heart. Your goal as a content marketer is to become that peer.
If you consistently tell people clearly and logically why a certain way of thinking is right, they’ll begin to trust your advice. When they need to make a decision, they’ll turn to you.
You can’t be seen as a salesperson, but as someone who genuinely wants to help. No strings attached.
Your best bet for achieving this? Useful, valuable content, shared freely.
What do you think? Do you see content as more sales, marketing or public relations? Or is it something else entirely? Jot down your comments in the box below.
photo credit: Tania_Cataldo
