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Ok, guys, I had to write this article, after seeing a few blog posts around, claiming that “content marketing is dead.” I know, as marketers, we sometimes think we have some superpowers that dictate the flow of things in the industry… but, do we really need to “kill” content marketing now, just like we were trying to kill SEO (search engine optimization) a few years ago? So, yes, it’s true – content marketing is as dead as SEO – i.e. not so much.
Both, content marketing and SEO, are very much alive and thriving, and that makes our marketing hearts full and happy!
Here are a few reasons why:
It makes us work harder and smarter
Let’s quickly see what happened to SEO and why some people think it’s dead. SEO is not dead, it just matured. It’s no longer a rebellious teenager with quasi-friends, making too many quasi-good, questionable choices in life. SEO is finally (actually) working exactly how it should – organically. So yes, many SEO practices of the past are dead, and that’s because they were not the proper ways of doing things in the first place. As Google got smarter, SEO got smarter, gifting marketers with an opportunity to get to the first page of Google, by just doing good work – by putting consistent content that makes sense to both humans and robots. That’s right – there’s no secret sauce to SEO (just like to the rest of marketing).
So, what’s happening with content marketing these days? Same story. Today, we (marketers and business managers) have to work harder, to strategically think through all of our content that is being posted on the website, social media, and other marketing channels – they all have to work together. And we have to work smarter, by avoiding all the mistakes and old practices that are no longer relevant… like using other people’s content on your website and social media, instead of writing your own content, thinking that you are “doing content marketing.”
Cool tip: Create an editorial calendar, to make sure all of your content is strictly aligned with your business’s goals. Stop posting other people’s content on your social media! You want to always drive traffic to your own website.
It allows marketers to stop marketing
Yes, that’s right. Less marketing and more helping our customers to make right choices. In business, just like in life, if it’s not a win-win, it’s not a victory. As marketers, we have to be acutely aware of the honor and responsibility of putting our ideas out there. Just think about it – one of the most popular terms these days – “influencer marketer” embodies exactly what we are doing here, in our coffee-infused marketing agencies – we are influencing people. Our job is to influence a buyer’s decision. And this is why this is good news that the old content marketing tricks are dead – because these days if you are not acting from the win-win mentality, your marketing is not going to be victorious. And that just sucks for everyone!
Cool tip: Stop marketing and stop selling. Start being a positive influencer, by providing real-life tips for your customers to have better lives. Let’s make this world a better place, and we (marketers and business managers) can absolutely contribute to that.
Happy marketing!
P.S.
Do you have any marketing dilemmas of your own? Give us a shout or stop by our digital marketing agency in Vancouver – we always have chocolate!