What’s more important – content or delivery? The reality is you can’t have one without the other. It takes content and delivery together to make your efforts pay off.
In this article, we’ll take a look at why content is such an important part of the marketing mix, and the vital role delivery plays in getting it out there. I will also mix in a few points to think about for those starting out.
Why Content is so Important
Content marketing is a strategy used to attract and engage prospects by sharing information they will value. It all starts with at least one clearly defined target audience, and most companies will have more. The materials you create must be relevant to those who receive it. Finally, the production and distribution of your content must be an on-going process.
In a recent article called a Definition of Marketing Even a Child Can Understand, I talked about awareness, attraction, and action. In today’s marketing world, getting people to know you, relate to you and eventually buy from you, relies heavily on content – especially with B2B.
Research by Smart Insights earlier this year estimated that content marketing was the activity having the most commercial impact on business in 2016. Leading with a total of 21% of those surveyed, content marketing was ahead of marketing automation at 15%, and conversion rate optimization at 11%. As you scroll down the list of the other categories such as paid advertising, online PR, and social media – content plays a critical role in these as well.
Content such as blogs, white papers, and infographics, can have a long shelf life. This means people can discover it months or years later and in some cases the same content can be reintroduced. The value of content and its ability to engage and persuade is hard to argue. But, only if it connects with the recipient. Yes, content marketing takes a great deal of investment. But, it continues to prove itself in driving brand awareness, sales leads, and customer satisfaction.
Direct Delivery Challenges
Once you have content worth sharing, it needs to get in front of the right people. This can be just as big a challenge as keeping up with content. Choosing the best vehicles to distribute your message is not as easy as it sounds. Let’s use the example of building out social media networks. This is not trivial, and it takes strategy, time and focus. You can’t build every network at once so it’s wise to pick three or four that best suit your needs and work them hard. To choose between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all the others will be far easier if you learn the social media preferences of your target audience.
Email is another strong distribution channel. Whether you use a simple email service or sophisticated marketing automation tool – the challenge is always the list! CASL and other privacy laws now force marketers to build lists that only include opt-in subscribers. This again takes a long time and your content has to be stellar to cut through the clutter. Also, once you have a growing list, you need to keep up the good work so people don’t unsubscribe.
Delivery Option Alternatives
If your networks and lists are early-stage, a more immediate way to distribute content is through publishing platforms such as LinkedIn and Medium. These are easy to use, free and can attract a good number of prospects to your brand. There is also a long list of other powerful, but less direct ways to get your message out. Examples include:
- Advertising on Google AdWords or any of the popular social media networks
- Advertising in online news outlets or industry publications
- Remarketing using Google or services such as AdRoll
- Online press releases through services such as PRweb and Newswire
These options can help you reach large audiences quickly and affordably. Because it’s digital, most systems offer strong analytics so you can see the results. In all these examples, there is high value in terms of brand building and awareness. But, if your goal is to drive people to a piece of content, these options typically require a stop at a web, or landing page first.
So far, we have been referring only to digital marketing. It’s important to note that print, direct mail, and other channels are still widely used and viable. If you re-purpose the same content across a variety of different online and offline channels, the impact is even stronger.
Content and Delivery – You Need Both!
Content and delivery go hand in hand. A car without gas won’t run and gasoline sitting in a can, just smells bad. I’ve run across clients spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on high-end marketing automation platforms and barely using them. I’ve also seen great content, that sadly no one will ever see. Both scenarios are inefficient and wasteful.
Ideally, content and delivery should be in the same, relative state of readiness. At the beginning, it’s great to write blogs and articles. You also need to focus on building up your social media channels and your lists of relevant contacts and prospects. Until then, and even afterwards, self-publishing and paid advertising can bridge the delivery gap. Of course, for both content and delivery, there is always outsourcing as an option. If you keep up the effort and provide consistent value to your target audience over time, you will be rewarded!