You’ve heard that content is KING but what does that mean for you, and your brand? Are content marketing and digital marketing, two separate entities? Instead of going through the definitions (as any article would), let’s try an activity or thinking-based learning –– to understand these two terminologies better.
Task 1:
Think of something you would like to purchase via the internet. It could be a T-shirt, a mobile phone or a pair of shoes.
For the sake of this task, we are going to be using the example of a scarf.
Task 2:
Think of the sites you’d be visiting, to look for your item.
You might type keywords into Google: ‘buy scarves in Malaysia’ or ‘local scarf brands’. Some individuals may type these keywords into Instagram or Facebook to take a look at some e-commerce brands.
Task 3:
You are now looking at the images of the different scarves available online or reading about scarves that are more suitable for your skin type and weather. Some brands may have videos on the various methods of wearing their scarves.
Task 4:
Have you found the item you would like to purchase? Found it or not, put your phone or any of your devices away just for an hour or so. Then, come back to your device. Now, merely scroll through your social media account or look for your friends’ social media accounts.
Task 5:
Observe the other images that are appearing on your feed –– the advertisements, the pop-ups or the recommendations. Do you happen to see a lot of the product you are looking for? And these are from various brands –– maybe also some brands you have never heard of. Now you are spoilt for choice!
Conclusion:
Think about the information you were provided with when you were searching for the product. Think about the brand’s product information that was available on their social media profiles or their websites; the general information provided which added to your understanding of the brand and their products. These are content marketing strategies. Did you notice that some of the brands resonated with you more than the others? You might fall right into their target audience, with the correct language, picture style, scarf style and colour choices.
What about later on, when you saw the advertisements from the various brands? Those are digital marketing strategies. They involve analysis of keyword searches, Pays per Click and target audiences –– focusing on the conversions and sale of their products.
Content marketing and digital marketing are two different types of strategies, but they are more efficient when they are in tandem and are both used for your brand. The content will speak to your audiences and create trust as well as loyalty. As for digital marketing, it gives the audiences an extra push to purchase a product you have. Therefore, if the content is King, who is a King without his generals?
