With the explosion of online platforms and the ubiquity of search engines, SEO and Content Marketing have become synonymous for many marketers, especially here in my hometown of Perth.
Google search "Content Marketing Agency Perth", and you'll get mostly local marketing agencies offering SEO services, focused around creating blog posts.
This is understandable. Content is a broad term. As is marketing.
But it does a disservice to both, and is ultimately unhelpful to marketers and strategists everywhere.
Content Marketing and SEO are both specialty areas in their own right, and confusing the two is like confusing basketball for soccer. Both are significant, with plenty of overlap, but at their core they are different ideas.
What is Content Marketing?
While companies have been creating content as marketing since at least the late 1800's, Content Marketing as a separate and stand-alone practice is relatively new.
Joe Pulizzi started the Content Marketing Institute in 2011 and planted the flag for a specific approach to content in the marketing world.
"the strategic marketing approach of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action"
Joe's thesis revolves around building an audience with content.
On its own, this is not a revolutionary idea. This is how media companies operate. Create great content, build an audience and monetise. For example; create a newspaper, build an audience, companies will then pay to advertise to that audience.
What was revolutionary was Joe's assertion that non-media companies can execute a similar content strategy and build powerful audiences in a business context.
With plenty of historical examples, bringing together this content-based marketing strategy under the term Content Marketing has allowed the approach to flourish over the last decade.
Historical Content Marketing examples include;
The Michelin Guide - a travel guide created in 1900 by the Michelin Tyre Company
The Furrow - an informative magazine for farmers created by the John Deere company in 1895
WLS - radio station started by retailer Sears-Roebuck in 1924
Content in a Content Marketing sense is not limited to online content.
Content is a key part of Search Engine Optimisation
SEO or Search Engine Optimisation can be defined (by me) as;
"the continuous process of improving the organic search engine rankings of a website over time"
Building out the content over time is a key SEO strategy for many SEO practitioners. This does not just mean 'write more blog articles'.
From adding more content to existing pages, to adding new pages across all areas of a website, there is so much opportunity to improve a website's user experience via content.
Are blog posts considered Content Marketing?
Blog posts can absolutely be considered content marketing.
More broadly, building out website content can be viewed as content marketing as well, especially if that content is driving email signups, and building an audience for the business.
While blog articles can be an effective use of content, it only scratches the surface of what content can achieve as a marketing initiative.
Another superpower of content is the ability to engage an existing audience. Bringing a customer back into a brand is incredibly valuable.
This is especially relevant in industries where products and services are not everyday commodities. Think air-conditioning, solar, home builders etc.
Content as the ultimate brand builder
This is the key takeaway; do not underestimate content.
Great content allows us to build and engage audiences at scale, while building owned platforms and ultimately building brand.
Not just an increased amount of website traffic.
For specialist Content Marketing consulting for Australian businesses, get in touch with us here at Two & Four to organise an introductory Content Marketing consultation.
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