Sorry, Content Dudes, But It’s Just Plain Old Marketing

I finally made it over. As I mentioned on our call yesterday, I think it's semantics and I see now I'm not the only one! To me, it's good marketing of the concept of content. Completely agree that it is one tactic in the overall strategy. Someone coined the term to help those who are not immersed in marketing like we are to understand, and, well, to hire them to content market them. Some marketers like to do that: Package things up and put a put pretty bow on it.

What a great discussion you've launched here. I think you're challenging some of the hype around content marketing rather than the discipline itself. A lot of silly things are said about content marketing and it's good to challenge them. But, for me, the power of the discipline -- when practiced properly – is pretty hard to dispute. It isn't 'just marketing' and it isn't synonymous with marketing -- it's a specific approach to marketing and is a valuable part of the mix. What's most telling is that you chose a blog post to make your argument -- a shining example of content marketing in action. It works!

I don't get this. I dropped a big comment here yesterday and it was on the livefyre platform. Now today it's Disqus and my comment is gone. What's up?

Someone asks if you're suggesting anyone should use content marketing exclusively, and you counter that there are agencies dedicated to it. There are agencies dedicated to many things, but seldom will they claim universal application ("give us your entire budget and fuhget about it").   Content marketing exploded (is exploding) on to the scene for one big reason: the scaling effect of the Internet on high-quality information - the kind you've seen from your blog, for example.   The new information economy of the Internet made costs related to the distribution of information (be it stock quotes, emails or brochures) practically costless. That means that marketing could scale in a way previously unimaginable (or pretty close).   Where custom publishing required a hefty investment in content production AND a hefty investment in content distribution (mailing lists, postage and the physical "send"), content marketing distributes itself - provided the content is compelling.   It is that distinction - "provided the content is compelling" - that sets content marketing apart from traditional marketing. The ability to scale marketing messages through (practically) free distribution demands that the information possess a level of virtue we used to see only in trade journals or high-quality research. The kind of content you mention that markets only a product or service seldom scales, for example.   So, no, content marketing isn't the end-all be-all. But it is a pretty revolutionary thing, when you consider it. I would, in fact, argue that it's changed/is changing marketing as we know it. Marketing ten years from now will look very different from marketing ten years ago, and it's the scaling power of information (rendered for promotional purposes as content marketing) that will be largely responsible for the transformation.

Hi Danny...again, an interesting and thought provoking post.  I certainly appreciate the shout out, especially on the event.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, and respect the areas where I don't.  I've been in this industry (the content marketing industry, formerly known as custom publishing, which has been going on for hundreds of years) for over 12 years now.  We've had to fight the battles against what it is and what it isn't.  Honestly, it doesn't matter...much of it is semantics.  Here's what I know.

1.  You CAN market a company using just content marketing (our company is proof of that, so is Brian Clark's).  That said, content marketing is like butter...it makes all the traditional stuff you are doing that much better. Hubspot is a great example of a company that has used content as a key part of the whole of marketing, but still leverages much of the traditional process.

2.  It is like marketing, but it isn't.  How do I know?  Never have I seen marketers struggle with the concepts of how to attract and retain customers with valuable information WITHOUT talking about themselves.  It's a huge pain point in most organizations.  Everyone in the organization feels they own content, so it's everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  Often, to develop integrated content processes within organizations, a culture change needs to happen.

3.  But yes, it is marketing.  Hopefully the content you create has a goal, from acquisition to conversion to loyalty to passionate subscribers...and there is the biggest difference with what we are seeing with content marketing.  More companies are focusing on creating passionate subscribers.  This is new.  Most companies never worried about their own channels.  We always borrowed the channels.  Today, brands (like AMEX, P&G, RedBull, Coca-Cola, etc.) are developing programs so they can have direct connections and relationships with customers - just like media companies have been doing for years.  That means we need great storytellers that understand how to work multiple channels.  Most brands are great at placement, but the majority are horrible at creating, developing and marketing their own channels.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the smartest traditional marketers on the planet…but many don’t know where to start when you talk content marketing.  It often doesn’t make sense to them (you mean, I don't talk about our own products?)…and that’s okay…we still have a long way to go.  Robert Rose and I wrote a book about managing the process, and most of it sounds like perfect strategy for TV producers, radio personalities, book authors and film producers.  And that’s exactly where we need to go today.  Our customers don’t care about us or our services…they care about themselves.  How do we get them to care about us at all?  By developing the most amazing content, either entertainment or utility, that is so good they actually engage in it like (gasp) it was real content.  They sign up for your marketing, because it's that good.  They don't even care that it is marketing.

Thanks again Danny…I appreciate you keeping the conversation going.

Joe Pulizzi

Hi Danny...again, an interesting and thought provoking post.  I certainly appreciate the shout out, especially on the event.   I agree with a lot of what you are saying, and respect the areas where I don't.  I've been in this industry (the content marketing industry, formerly known as custom publishing, which has been going on for hundreds of years) for over 12 years now.  We've had to fight the battles against what it is and what it isn't.  Honestly, it doesn't matter...much of it is semantics.  Here's what I know. 1.  You CAN market a company using just content marketing (our company is proof of that, so is Brian Clark's).  That said, content marketing is like butter...it makes all the traditional stuff you are doing that much better. Hubspot is a great example of a company that has used content as a key part of the whole of marketing, but still leverages much of the traditional process. 2.  It is like marketing, but it isn't.  How do I know?  Never have I seen marketers struggle with the concepts of how to attract and retain customers with valuable information WITHOUT talking about themselves.  It's a huge pain point in most organizations.  Everyone in the organization feels they own content, so it's everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  Often, to develop integrated content processes within organizations, a culture change needs to happen. 3.  But yes, it is marketing.  Hopefully the content you create has a goal, from acquisition to conversion to loyalty to passionate subscribers...and there is the biggest difference with what we are seeing with content marketing.  More companies are focusing on creating passionate subscribers.  This is new.  Most companies never worried about their own channels.  We always borrowed the channels.  Today, brands (like AMEX, P&G, RedBull, Coca-Cola, etc.) are developing programs so they can have direct connections and relationships with customers - just like media companies have been doing for years.  That means we need great storytellers that understand how to work multiple channels.  Most brands are great at placement, but the majority are horrible at creating, developing and marketing their own channels.   I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the smartest traditional marketers on the planet…but many don’t know where to start when you talk content marketing.  It often doesn’t make sense to them (you mean, I don't talk about our own products?)…and that’s okay…we still have a long way to go.  Robert Rose and I wrote a book about managing the process, and most of it sounds like perfect strategy for TV producers, radio personalities, book authors and film producers.  And that’s exactly where we need to go today.  Our customers don’t care about us or our services…they care about themselves.  How do we get them to care about us at all?  By developing the most amazing content, either entertainment or utility, that is so good they actually engage in it like (gasp) it was real content.  They sign up for your marketing, because it's that good.  They don't even care that it is marketing.   Thanks again Danny…I appreciate you keeping the conversation going. Joe Pulizzi  

Love your direct approach, but in the same spirit, I think you're wrong. You say: "The content is created to market the end product – you’re not marketing the actual content. If you were, the message would be something like “See how cool this video / blog post is – buy the content now!”. Which wouldn’t make any kind of sense." But oh yes, it does make sense. Remember "samples selling?" We've gotten away from it. But it works for perfume, it works for selling pies (ask Simple Simon's pieman), and it works for professional services, for example. I suggest to you content marketing has a lot in common with samples selling; and in a day and age when we are bombarded with me-too-isms, it is one of the best ways to let the buyer actually compare. Is that new? No, samples selling is as old as the hills. But it went out of vogue. Now it's back, and for good reason. I don't think it's "just" a semantic difference, I think it's real and substantive; and very meaningful.

@davemhuffman I don't know what you mean... ;-)

@davemhuffman I don't know what you mean... ;-)

@DanielSharkov haha lol

@DanielSharkov haha lol

I.love.this. That is all. Cheers! Kaarina

Danny, are you suggesting that some marketers are relying solely on content marketing as their standalone marketing strategy?

Hey Danny, thanks for putting your thoughts out there on this as it's something you've mentioned before and I certainly respect your take. I really just want to make two points. 1. Whenever I teach content marketing, my message is simple-- Be the best teacher in your industry. Answer every single consumer/prospect question you can. And when I explain this approach, and how content works in the sales process, many people say to me, "Finally, there is a word for what my company has been doing!" This, in my opinion, is a good thing. 2. I get annoyed that anytime a new phrase comes out people automatically say it has unauthentic intentions. On my blog, I make up phrases often to describe stuff I do or see. But that doesn't make me a fake or money-grubber. It just makes me a conversationalist with my unique way of seeing the world. Finally, the argument that it's "just marketing" can be pretty much made about everything...including social media. Notwithstanding, I think it's nice to have subsets of this stuff. For example, I'm really good at teaching principles of content marketing. But I'm not good at teaching how to use LinkedIn. Or Twitter. Or Facebook. Heck, I'm really not very good at teaching email marketing. Yet all of these things fall under the umbrella that is "marketing"....

Ha, actually what I'm railing against is those who say it's a standalone discipline, mate. I value the strength of content in the bigger marketing picture - but you buy a tomato, not a blog post about a tomato. :)

Exactly, mate. People can talk about semantics but at the end of the day, marketing is there to sell. If you're not selling, technically you're not marketing.

Hi Mark, I think it can depend on who you talk to. There are many valid marketers that use it as another piece of the marketing puzzle; then there are the money-grabbers that will use peoples' lack of knowledge to shill services and charge higher consultancy fees. And I definitely agree that using content is a subset - as per the second last paragraph in the post: "The thing is, though, it’s still just another tactic. The content is part of the overall strategy to get a customer to buy into your offering, and a solid part at that. But a standalone? I can’t see it." I'm arguing against the term from the point of view of the end goal. Ask a customer if they'd like to buy the content or the product/service, and it's the latter that will win every time. Content educates; marketing is the closer of the deal.

Nice post, Danny, but I'm not sure you're seeing the forest for the trees here. Of course it's all marketing. But the term "content marketing" isn't attempting to silo the tactic. It's making sense of all the working parts. These days, one marketer can't wear every hat and expect to establish a strong digital presence for the brand. In other words, "content marketing" is a subset of marketing that helps us understand how building useful, informative and entertaining content helps drive leads and build brands.

@jkcallas @dannybrown If content is king, distribution is the crown prince.

@jkcallas @dannybrown If content is king, distribution is the crown prince.

@KlaudynaSchmidt http://t.co/V8lUbIBx

Hey Danny, Always admire your straight talking attempts to cut the BS. Of course content marketing is marketing. But the usefulness of the term 'content' is that it puts the accent on relevant, meaningful and valuable (to the audience) content that takes a product or service to market, rather than the trad shouting about how great you are, why you are the best etc - in fact, all the things you use as examples above. IMHO none of that is content marketing. Sure, it uses content (as opposed to what?) but it's completely different type of messaging. And that's what makes the difference between trad marketing and content marketing.

G'Day Danny, At the risk of repeating myself; "marketing isn't everything but everything is marketing." I suspect that one of the issues is that not enough people really grasp what marketing's all about. But that's another story. Make sure you have fun Best Wishes Leon

I'm in agreement in theory. But, kinda want to veer off on something that bugs the crap outa me sometimes. I'm not referring to you Danny ... just IM in general: I just think that when we label things or people in mercenary terms like content marketing, hypnotic marketing, consumers, tribe members, (and so many more) we run the risk of losing touch, alienating and becoming that which we all despise. Yeah, I know we need to earn a living, blogging is a business, and we have products to sell and we need to attract prospects and clients - I get all that! And I understand we have to have labels to refer to the steps we need to take. I don't have an answer for this excessive use of terminology and the distance it puts between us and our clients. I wish we could find ways to constantly remind ourselves that we're all real people on equal footing, sharing our lives and working together to make life better for everyone and try to find ways to bridge the gap so that we as bloggers and online marketers don't fall into the same traps that corporations created for themselves. Do you agree Danny?

Comes down to providing information that your audience wants. As opposed to pushing packaged content at them. Marketing vs Selling.

None marketing guy's take on this subject, I take the expertise angle (mixed with personal BS ;-)).....I do agree with what you are saying but I am sure so do some of those guys you mentioned. I just see this as logic. Content is a good way to share information that can help people understand you, your product or your service. In my mind, that's all that these guys are saying. The rest is strategy on how to do that well; create the content. So, semmantics aside, who gives a crap what you call it?