What exactly is content marketing? And why is it nothing new at all?

Content marketing is marketing using free content that provides value.

In other words: You create and distribute free content (e.g. a blog article, e-book, video, etc.) and use it to make your company known, sell something and ensure lasting customer loyalty.

The big difference with content marketing, however, is that your goal is not to promote a product or service, but your content. So you take a little detour. However, your content is closely related to your solution and aims to deliver value and slowly build a relationship with your customer.

If you want a dictionary-like definition, it goes like this: "Content marketing is the creation and marketing of free content that delivers value in order to attract, connect with, and ultimately sell, a specific audience."

So content solves the problems of your target group, making their world a better place and supporting you in your business goals. Isn't that cool?!

Why is content marketing so important?
In the past, the provider was in control. He had the message and the information. If you wanted a solution, you heard about it from the mainstream media and had to get advice from a salesperson. Whether B2B (e.g. a factory machine) or B2C (e.g. a television).

Today, however, traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective . Your customers just don't want to see any more ads. They don't want to be interrupted anymore and have found ways to bypass the ads.

That's why today they hang out on social networks. Or look for a solution to your problem in the search engine. Now they have all the information. And often they are even better informed than the seller.

Today your customer is in control. Not you.

Since your customer is so knowledgeable and does most of their customer journey alone, you need to get on their radar somehow. How do you do that? By being found by him . And that's where your quality content comes in. Hello inbound marketing ! ?

What exactly does content marketing look like?
What do you need to start with this? Quite simply: a content hub . A place where your content rests. A content archive so to speak.

So you shouldn't create dull and structureless content. No, you need a center. You need something where all roads lead and where your customers can interact with you. Just like in the old days all roads led to Rome and people talked there in the market square.

Conclusion
Content marketing is marketing using free content that delivers value. Instead of pitching, you simply create useful content and help your client solve their problems or entertain them .

So you're not talking directly about your product or service, you're talking around it . You take a small detour and build a bridge between your customers and your solution.

With traditional marketing, you had to buy advertising space from a media house. With content marketing, you become a media house yourself . That is the big difference. So you do marketing by thinking like a magazine , guide or reference book .

For centuries, companies have made their company known with useful information and exciting stories , "accidentally" sold something suitable and retained customers in the long term.

Today, however, there is also the fact that customer behavior has changed and traditional marketing is becoming increasingly ineffective. Today it is no longer enough to bombard your customers with advertising. Today it's help, not hype .