Brandhacker Infographic Rating (Hackin!, Status Quo, Lame): Status Quo
Long ago and far away back in 2003, blogger content was not a highly valued asset. (Today the story is becoming very different, but this time it's for brands). Then there came "social media". In essence "social media" meant creative asset tools and platforms that gave online users the capability to share content/text, make comments, "Like" others, and subscribe to RSS feeds.
Funny how content comes back to haunt you. Now all you hear is how content is the blood of social media for brands. While social media tools allow users to communicate with each other (and brands are building the tools to allow that) the next strategic step for brands is to help procure content for users and allow them to easily identify that brands are doing this for them. Brands being helpful. That's new and exciting. And now brands aren't just selling products, they're becoming our media companies. Read Cheryl Lowry's "The Rise of the Content Strategist" article and you'll see why producers and copywriters in the digital arena will now be seeking this new title.
In today's infographic (above) from Content+, let's review some key concepts about Content (in light of its recent and forthcoming synergies with SEO, SEM and Social Analytics):
- The BIGGEST INSIGHT in the "Anatomy of Content Marketing" infographic is that content is a top 3 reason that people follow brands on social media.
- So, it's a no brainer from this infographic: if you have a brand and want a digital strategy, you need to blog (e.g. produce content often and push it out)
- From the people I interview at Fortune 1000 companies, many executives are still asking their VPs of Marketing, "What value does social media give me?" "How can you really tie sales to social media, come on!" Ok guys and gals; you are crazy for asking that question. Social media (and content) is not only a brand awareness tool, it drives users down the sales funnel toward acquisition and conversion
- Paid, Earned, Owned, Shared. We in marketing hear this social construct a lot. While marketers have effectively hit users up on the Paid side (banners and Search) for a decade; they have also been good at the Owned part (website, Facebook Timeline Page). It's content that drives the Earned and Shared pieces. And, brands are starting to produce content to fuel the fire. Tools are now popping (via below) showing marketers how to truly leverage their content in every way (approach and platform) possible. Check out some of the guides:
- Guide to Leveraging Content Marketing
- 44 Must Reads for Content Marketing
- Competitive Content Analysis
- Content Curation Guide
- Earned media. Earning user coverage is the best type of branding. If a user finds your content useful, they will pass it around. Per our infographic, users online are more apt to trust a brand if they're learning about them from content or an article, vs. an ad.
