Gone are the days of conventional marketing such as print, outdoor and point of sale. Today all those classics have become obsolete and outdated. Nevertheless, the world has invited the change by going digital. A communication platform that is instantaneous and measurable. A space where the success of a content is measured in terms of CTR and mindshare of the target group. So it is important to be authentic, relevant and engaging with the target audience with the quality content.
When the content marketing juggernaut was on the roll, it also gathered a lot of misconceptions. Those misconceptions have become a chink in the armor of content marketing. As content marketing is emerging as the ultimate boon for emerging businesses to have a direct engagement with the target group, it has become imperative to understand such a great tool in the right manner. Here are the common misconceptions of content marketing:
Every second a piece of content gets uploaded in the web space and the audiences are actually spoilt with choices. So it is essential that a content needs to be curated in accordance to the likes and needs of the prospective TG. It has to stand out of the crowd to achieve the desired engagement from the Target Group. More in numbers and less in quality will never bring the results. The solution for ‘quantity is better than quality’ misconception is “A singular, strong and relevant message.”
Creating an incredible content deserves a million appreciation. At the same time, pushing the target group towards action needs a little more strong groundwork than creating an incredible stuff. A communication should be perceived as a credible one. Only then, a causal immersion with the content becomes an engagement and once the engagement happens, it subtly induces action. The solution for ‘incredibility is advantageous than credibility’ misconception is “A strong understanding of the TG and a stronger attachment towards credibility”
This is the sure way to go out of competition in the digital space, right from the first second of making a presence. Today the audiences are smart enough to understand the nuances of a content. So there should be a correlation between what is being said and what the brand is posing. Brand positioning and formulating strategy based content helps a marketer in identifying the niche, even among the heavily crowded space. The solution for ‘Posing is better than positioning’ misconception is spending a great deal of time in exploring how to position a product or a brand in the market.
Today there is a widely accepted or in other words greatly followed notion that “offers” attract customers. It is believed that any content that carries the message of offer or discount is sure to create a ripple in the market. This is the common misconception any marketers or content creators will have. But the truth is, building a brand loyalty begets greater results in a longer run. Because tapping the customers by giving an offer as a bait is short lived and soon to be outsmarted by another better ‘offer’. The solution for ‘Discount offers are better than brand loyalty’ misconception is building a strong a brand presence and earn customer loyalty.
The marketers of today are very much attracted to the term viral. Going viral is considered like blazing a new trail in their business. In such situation, audiences are flooded with a boatload of contents aiming to achieve virality. But only a fraction of them is able to achieve the desired viral tag. The fate of other contents curated to go viral, fade away from the minds of the audience. This situation makes it clear that creating engaging content is important and virility will happen on its own course. The solution for ‘Virility is more important than engagement’ is creating content that creates curiosity in the minds of the TG and speaks directly to them in the relevant tone.
Content marketing is more of a master key that can open any doors of possibilities to allow the brands to expand their horizon, elevate their market share and of course, enables them to cross more glorious milestones. But do we spend enough time in understanding the treasure trove? Mostly, business houses rash behind the deadlines & don’t allot quality time in understanding the need of the hour. Regrettably, business houses were busy, exhausting their resources in planning and building bottom lines, but unfortunately, their failure in understanding the importance of the content marketing will only downturn their business in a long run.
So let’s not lose out to the trends in gaining the market share and concentrate more on building brands effectively synthesizing the best practices of content marketing. Let’s concentrate more on engagement with the target group, devoid of misconceptions. Together, let’s explore the potential of content marketing- the treasure trove that ensures sure progress. What stops, it is high time we explored and excelled.