Content Marketing Made Simple

It’s Time to Reward the Content Marketers

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One might say that content marketing feeds consumers hungry for information.  Sometimes, it gives them something to drink.

Have you ever Googled in a term and couldn't find anything informational about it?  Sure, you'll find plenty of sites selling the thing, but precious little pure information that can help you learn more about it.  That's a royal pain, isn't it?

So, when a site comes along that actually gives you more than you were expecting, it's refreshing.  Much like a bottle of delicious wine.  If you are interested in wine, or perhaps are a wine connoisseur, check out WineAccess.  I came across this resource through a coupon site (a topic for a future post!), and was impressed with how well it uses content to help customers learn more about its wines, and about wine in general.

So what happened to the Napa Valley wine market?  What's the story behind the bottle you're interested in?  WineAccess tells you about the winemakers, the histories of their vintages, and features certain brands.  It links you to wine-related resources, monthly publications and expert advice about wine.  It's delightful to be able to learn something before you make a purchase, I think.

I don't even drink wine, but I read the stories anyway.  Do they know that they are engaging in, well, engagement?  I don't know, but it works for me.

 Are you more likely to buy from a site that uses content to offer useful information?  We think so, but don't take our word for it.  Go test it out for yourself.  Over the next couple of weeks, keep track of the sites you go to, and whether they are using content marketing to attract visitors.  You'll know them when you see them.  They are the sites with articles, blogs, stories and interesting information scattered throughout.  Consider your reaction to these sites.  Do you keep coming back to them?  Reference them to others?

Many times, when I'm writing for clients, I find myself returning to certain sites over and over again for information because they are obviously "authority sites".  What makes them so?  They know what they're talking about, they share their knowledge freely, they don't try to sell and they stay updated with new good stuff.

So, if you're looking for a direction for your site, if you're designing or redesigning your site, keep this in mind-- people want to know what you know, they want to share in your experiences, they want you to tell them stories, they want you to talk to them.  There is no industry or field that can't benefit from content marketing.  Even the most mundane topic can be turned into something sexy (or at least interesting) with a little bit of creativity and some awesome content. 

For more examples of how well-done content marketing makes businesses look cool, check out Joe Pulizzi's book "Get Content, Get Customers".  Quite a few chapters are devoted to some enterprising sites that get CM, and are using it kill their competition.

Do you know of any sites that use content to inform and engage?  Let us know!  Better yet, recommend them to friends, family and colleagues.  These sites deserve to get their business.