What is content marketing?
Oxford defines it as "a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, vlogs, white papers, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services."
Content marketing if a form of communication that shares informational or entertaining content that is interesting, relevant, useful and shareable to your target audience. We will be discussing the difference between informational content marketing and entertaining content marketing later in this blog post. We'll also discuss the sweet spot when your content becomes both informational and entertaining. Let's first we'll take a quick look at the four forms of content marketing.
Written Word
Have you ever read a book that just made you want to experience something in a whole new way? I love to read. I learned as a young man that successful men read a lot. That set me on a path to fall in love with literature. So I started reading, and soon discovered I could travel the world when reading a book. Reading made me want to learn more about the places mentioned in the books, which inspired me to read other books, read articles and read everything I could get my hands on related to those wonderful places. It created a passion for travel within me, which led me to collaborate with some great travel bloggers. It's been an amazing adventure.
The written word helped me discover a new passions. It inspired me to read everything I could find about Williamsburg Brooklyn (my hometown in New York). Did you know that Betty Smith's novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is all about Williamsburg Brooklyn. I learned that fact in the 5th grade. This book made me want to learn more about the tenements I grew up living in, which led to a love affair with real estate, which led to me becoming one of the top 2% real estate pros in NYC as an adult. Later I found out that the church she described in her book was the church I grew up attending, Most Holy Trinity - St. Mary Roman Catholic Church (138 Montrose Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11206).
See, the written word can inspire an audience, and motivate that audience to take action. If you use this powerful tool in your content marketing, you will undoubtedly do much better in your endeavors than those who don't. I mean, if you take one thing away from this, consider that word content is still one of the strongest SEO (search engine optimization) tools for growth.
Audio
Do you know who Joe Rogan is? He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast that has catapulted to the number 1 spot in podcast media popularity, and has made him a household name with just about everyone, whether you agree or disagree with him and his views.
Podcasts are a great method of content marketing because they can be listened to just about anywhere, at any time, replayed when it is convenient, and enjoyed publicly or privately. They are a great form of communicating a point of view, an idea, a solution to a common problem, an ideology, a product, a brand, etc.
Of course, podcasts are not the only form of audio communication. The radio is still a great tool. Millions of Americans still tune into their favorite radio station on their commute to work. Finding the right station, at the right time, and producing the right video content on it is still a great way to capture your audience's attention.
Here are another few to add to the list; audio books; audiograms, audio blog, jingles, signature tunes, playlists, etc. What's your favorite type of audio marketing content? Leave a comment below.
Video
Do you know what YouTube is? Of course you do. This is a tool that everyone in my family, from my 2 year old grandson to my 78 year old mom use. It's a tool that I've used to build my own businesses, and one that I've used to build my clients' businesses.
When the radiator on my 1992 Toyota Camry blew out, I decided not to spend money getting it fixed by a mechanic. So, I went on YouTube and found out where to buy the right model, how to change it and where to take the old one to get paid for the metal it was made of. It was easier than I thought, and saved me lots of money.
YouTube is definitely not the only tool to use when focusing on video as the form of media for your content marketing. I am sure you've heard of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. All of these incorporate video into their platforms, and posting-savvy people have branded themselves influencers and experts using these tools. It can definitely increase your visibility.
The best thing about using video in your social media feed is that at least for now, it is free. That's right! You don't have to pay unless you want to. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pay, and post video ads in social media sites. It simply means you do not have to. People who pay for their videos to reach more viewers in the form of ads are capitalizing on the world's obsession with consuming entertaining and informational content.
Still not convinced? Well, did you know that the most viewed TikTok video of all time (as of 4/14/2022) is a video by user @bellapoarch. Until I saw the video, I had no idea who she was. You probably still have no idea who she is until you Google Bella Poarch 'M to the B' and see it for yourself. This video made her a household name with millions of people around the world and made her an overnight superstar.
Images
Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even TikTok are great places for you to use images as a form of content marketing. Memes are a very popular Can you name a few others? How about those advertisement posters in train stations, billboards, the art on the side of buildings in big cities, magazines with beautiful photo spreads, postcards, business cards, cartoons, the Sunday funnies in your newspaper, or good old photography? All of these are great forms of image content that can help an individual, a team, an organization or a company brand themselves and be top of mind with their targeted prospects.
Have you ever seen an election year that didn't bombard you with millions of images with the hopes of swaying your vote for one candidate or another? I'm sure you've all seen the photo of President Trump's hair blowing in the wind. How about the millions of memes reminding you that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars?
As a lifelong New York Knicks fan, one of my favorite sports posters ever is the one of John Starks dunking over Chicago Bulls superstars Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. That moment is still called "The Dunk" and has sold millions of posters world wide. You don't have to be a Knicks fan to know this moment. If you were a basketball fan in the early 90's, you heard about The Dunk and probably saw a poster or two of the moment.
How about the one of the great Muhammad Ali standing over George Foreman. On October 30, 1974, at the age of 32, Muhammad Ali became the heavyweight champion of the world for the second time when he knocked out a then 25-year-old champion George Foreman. The fight was called the “Rumble in the Jungle” and took place in Kinshasa, Zaire. Even if you weren't alive back then, you've probably seen this photo.
- Does it improve your audience's quality of life?
- Does it aim to be entertaining, informational or both?
- Does it establish you as an expert of thought leader in your field?
- Does it build trust and confidence in your brand within your audience?
- Does it inspire your audience to want to know more about you and your brand?
Content marketing is not about you, but about your audience. It is not a moment for you to talk about how great you are, but rather to show your value by giving the audience something they can use. Whether you are looking to entertain or you are looking to inform, the content must me memorable for it to be effective. If they don't remember you, they won't choose to do business with you.
Informational Content Marketing
If you’re looking for content marketing and SEO services, you can visit us at GCRosarioGroup.com and explore all that we have to offer. We specialize in delivering targeted content and systems to help you create organic traffic for growing your business, organization or brand. Come see why businesses have named us the most powerful content marketing services team in the consulting world. Our content marketing services may be exactly what you've been praying for.
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The above paragraph is not an ideal example of informational content marketing. As you can probably tell, we made it more about us than about you. A better example of you-centered informational content marketing is everything you read before the previous paragraph. It gave you useful information that you can use to start working on your content marketing plan without having to hire anyone. It provided information that is an answer commonly asked questions.
Because we believe in making this about you first, we want to make you a FREE offer. If you feel you need further assistance, schedule a no strings attached, 100% FREE 30 MINUTE CONSULTATION by clicking here. Let us help you determine if you need to invest in outside help or if you can do it yourself. Click on the "FREE" button below or on the link above to schedule your FREE consultation. Most of the people we speak to find out they can do it themselves until they grow bigger.
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Why should you invest in content marketing?
When most companies, organizations, ministries, teams, businesses and entrepreneurs start a new project, they often find themselves overwhelmed. There are only so many seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and months on a calendar year. Time is the most important and most valuable commodity we have as living, breathing human beings. It is only the most limited. See, you can always get more money after you spend it; another business if one goes away; more people if should some walk away from you; more opportunities when you miss the ones that were once in front of you. The one thing we cannot get back once it is spent, goes away or is misused is time. Time is limited.
When I started my first business, I had no money. I started the business because I couldn't find a job that would pay me enough to provide for my family. So, like many entrepreneurial individuals, I had an idea, I gave the idea life, and I poured everything I knew into this idea. The problem was that the idea was not exclusively mine. There were many others doing what I was doing, and most of my competitors had well funded marketing budgets.
I had absolutely no money to invest into any type of marketing, so I invested the only thing I had; time. I worked weekdays, weeknights, weekends, holidays; anywhere from 16-20 hrs a day, 7 days a week. I was very young so I didn't lack energy when I first got started, but the long hours with limited rest quickly took a toll on my health. , a team or a business is starting out, When done well, content creates brand equity, meaning: your brand becomes more and more valuable over time as you continue to create valuable content. And the more you help your audience, the more your brand will gain a reputation as a leader in your field.
I then met a great mentor, one that continued to mentor me for almost 3 decades. The best advice he gave me was for me to move back in with my parents, and to use the money I was paying in rent as my marketing budget. It wasn't a huge budget, but it was big enough to change the trajectory of my business.
That small investment into my business' content marketing helped me free up time. I was still working 10-12 hours a day, but that was a huge improvement from my 16-20 hour days. I was able to rest, recharge and recuperate. My health improved almost immediately. I learned a valuable lesson. Not investing in content marketing from the very beginning cost me money and time.
I soon found even more creative ways to free up cash and time by investing in content marketing. I learned the importance of talking, blogging, writing, podcasting, sharing video, etc. I started studying successful people and successful organizations and quickly saw a pattern. All of them invested in getting the word out about their product. I wrote as much as I could. I joined online forums where I could share content related to my company.
Content marketing got me noticed. So much so that one of my competitors offered to purchase my company from me. I was emotionally attached to the company, but I was more emotionally attached to the responsibility of providing for my children and spending more time with them. So I sold the company in an excellent deal that put me in a position to launch another business. I've been a serial entrepreneur since then, and a serial content marketer.
If you don't believe content marketing is important, you should read about the largest sneaker companies, fast food chains, car manufacturers, etc. If that doesn't have you sold, how about this one? Look at any faith-based or religious organization that has experienced massive growth over the past 10 years and I bet you'll find that they appreciate what investing in good content marketing has done for them.
Look at the photo below and think about it. How many of these logos and brands do you recognize? Where do you remember seeing them? Have you seen print ads or tv and online commercials, heard about them on the radio or on a podcast, read about them in a blog or magazine article, seen them appear in a movie, found them on social media or YouTube videos, etc.? Exactly! Click on the image below to schedule a FREE consultation to discuss how content marketing can work for you.
- Become a household name
- Be an expert in your field
- Generate momentum
- Dominate your field
- Be talked about
- Create organic traffic
- Be visible on search engines
- Reach more people
- Initiate a trusting relationship
- Be found by those searching for your product or service
We've provided quite a bit of information in this blog for you to dissect. Read through it. See how it pertains to your business or organization. Write down your questions. If you would like more information on how content marketing works and what it can do for you, schedule a FREE 30 Minute Consultation here. Let's talk about it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman & entrepreneur turned consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals.
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