Content Marketing Simplified

Simply put, what exactly is content marketing? Those who are about to begin

Content marketing is simply a type of marketing that communicates through the use of content (information). Many people appear to associate content marketing with "creating a large number of web pages and having potential customers find them," but this is only one method. Content (information) is more than just web pages, and content marketing is more than just attracting customers. It is simple to understand for those who are just getting started, and I will demonstrate with examples.

What exactly is content marketing?

It is a type of marketing that employs content (valuable information rather than advertising). It is sometimes used in the customer acquisition phase, and it is sometimes used in CRM for existing customers. It's getting a lot of attention these days, but it feels like an old trick in the offline world.

To help you understand what content marketing is, I've created a table that compares content marketing to non-content marketing.

It is a method of actively selling products or services to users, or simply delivering useful information to them. Simply put, it is a type of "inbound marketing" in which you do not actively sell until your prospects and customers express an interest. You will be forgotten if you do nothing until you are interested, so the goal until then is to continue to provide useful information (content) to the other party and maintain a close relationship. It is suggested that you read the book "Inbound Marketing" to learn more about this concept.

Inbound Marketing References (Mr. Norihiko Takahiro)

Differences from content SEO

Some people mistake content SEO for content marketing, but the two are both similar and distinct. Content SEO is a method of increasing search traffic by enriching content with knowledge of search needs and intentions. Because content for prospective customers has search needs, it is often done in conjunction with content marketing. Google's algorithm has evolved, and high-quality content has become more important in SEO as a result of penguin updates (logic to crack down on malicious self-made links) and panda updates (logic to crack down on low-quality content). The term "content SEO" was coined.

Content SEO is a subset of content marketing, but content marketing is a broader and more comprehensive measure.

Media distribution and content marketing

Content marketing will work in tandem with other marketing methods. Searches are not the only delivery destinations; SNS, video media, e-mail newsletters, and advertisements are also options. Each business carefully plans and implements the timing and method of contact with prospective and current customers. The following are the most common ways to contact us. I summarized it with contact timing and scene examples.

You must first create the "content" firmly, regardless of where you deliver it. If there is a home for content, such as owned media, it will be simple to redirect it to other media. Content marketing must be linked to the operation of social media, email, advertising, and so on. Now that "everything" has a high hurdle, let's pick two or three and operate and distribute them.

Type of content

It is fair to say that video media has made great strides in recent years. Instagram, a photography-focused SNS, is also doing well. When it comes to content, I believe many people think of text, but this is no longer the case. Some products and services, however, are not appropriate for photos and videos. For example, BtoB products like SATORI require persuasion, so I believe they are compatible with text reading content. Choose the appropriate content type for your company from the list below and create it.

Content type	Main delivery destinations
Text content (reading material)	Owned media, SNS, e-mail magazines, external media, newsletters, magazines, white papers
Photo	Owned media, SNS
Video / Online Seminar	Owned media, SNS
Offline seminars and events	off-line

 

Attention to content marketing 

The rising cost of Internet advertising is one of the reasons why content marketing is gaining traction. I used to advertise "Please buy" everywhere in the past, but now that the cost-effectiveness is no longer worth it, I want to advertise only to those who actually buy it. Nowadays, "communication by content," based on the funnel concept, is used to keep advertising costs as low as possible until you feel like buying. Furthermore, there is a growing awareness that being disliked by prospective customers as a result of persistent advertising activities is a negative effect of advertising.

Content marketing has come to mean "marketing that isn't disliked."

You should be aware of the benefits and drawbacks.

The benefit of being able to do "marketing that is not disliked" is tremendous, but the disadvantage is that it does not immediately result in sales. If you work with the same attitude as you have with your previous advertising measures, you will believe that "no results will be produced forever." It is critical for content marketing to create a comprehensive overall design, establish KPIs, and track whether they are contributing to their goals.

Key Performance Indicator

What are the key performance indicators for content marketing? Choosing a method based on the goal from a different perspective, various contents produced in content marketing become assets, and it is also advantageous to use them for other purposes. As an example, web contents such as use cases are commonly used for new graduate training and can also be used as a paper medium as a sales tool. The generated content should be routed to various measures.

An interesting example of content marketing

Many businesses engage in content marketing. I've gathered three examples that are both interesting and useful. I'll explain in brief.

 

1) Tsuchiya Bag Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Content marketing using photos and SNS)

Tsuchiya Bag Factory is a Japanese company that manufactures and sells high-quality leather goods. It is headquartered in Adachi-ku, Tokyo. Many players in SNS marketing appear to be aware that it is a company that excels at marketing on Facebook and Instagram with photos. And the author is one of the customers who became a fan of the Tsuchiya bag as a result of "content marketing."

I believe that by incorporating not only the attractiveness of the product but also the background and scenes in the photos and branding that gains sympathy, we are creating strong ties and fans. The Facebook page has over 290,000 likes, and there are 78,000 followers on Instagram (as of October 2019). There are times when the product plays a supporting role in a post. The post on the left is a "plum" that directs Autumn, and it is flanked by a "leather notebook." Users who are interested in this world view will enjoy this post.

Tsuchiya Bag Factory first came to my attention in 2015. I was captivated by the photos posted and the content of the posts, which included poetry, and I continued to follow, and in 2017, I purchased my child's school bag for the first time in a Tsuchiya bag. We are a customer who enjoys Tsuchiya products such as wallets and bags in 2019. Isn't it one of the characteristics of content marketing that you gradually become a fan at the pace of the customer?

2) SATORI marketing automation (Content marketing using text content and MA tools)

SATORI is also actively marketing content through marketing automation. To communicate with prospects, we create funnels and buyer journeys with content for each stage.

SATORI exhibits at events such as exhibitions, but rather than asking those who exchange business cards there, "Would you like to introduce SATORI?" New owned media articles and MA commentary We try to keep in touch on a regular basis by distributing articles and other materials. We also offer seminars where prospective customers who are becoming more interested in MA can get free offline content about MA. In this way, while creating opportunities to meet multiple times, we are taking a method of handing over to inside sales only prospective customers who are finally in the phase of selecting MA.