The debate over the merits of content marketing versus product-marketing is an ongoing one, and many modern marketing teams often confuse the two concepts. The ‘clickbait’ phenomenon reigned supreme between 2010 and 2020, but modern consumers have tuned out these ads disguised as content. To be effective in today’s market, marketers must strike the right balance between the two approaches. Here are some key differences between the two.
Content marketing is more explanatory than numbers-and-facts sales collateral
The goal of content marketing is to build a connection with customers and potential customers. Content marketing is more explanatory than numbers-and-facts sales collateral, but it is not without its risks. First, it requires identifying the target audience. By doing so, you can develop a content strategy that will appeal to that group. This process should begin with creating content for the personas.
Content marketing gives power to the buyer. It is non-salesy, informative, and inspires customer loyalty. Secondly, it doesn’t interrupt the customer’s life. It’s safer than sales-focused numbers-and-facts collateral. It also speaks to many buyer personas and audiences. That’s one of the main reasons why content marketing is so effective.
While content marketing doesn’t entail ad copy, it can also help uncover critical business intelligence. Marketing automation tools, for instance, make data insights more accessible. These tools make it easier to connect content marketing to revenue streams and improve the bottom line. And if you can tie these metrics to revenue streams, they’re much more meaningful when deciding where to invest resources and securing additional investments.
One of the key differences between traditional and content marketing is the mindset behind the content. Instead of counting numbers and colors, content focuses on the customer. The content must reflect the customer’s needs and connect with the brand. If your content can make the customer feel at ease, it’s more likely to result in a conversion. And if it satisfies these needs, your content marketing efforts will be much more effective.
In addition to building brand awareness, content marketing also aims to educate and inform customers. It is true that “know thy customer” is still the holy grail of marketing, but the research that follows that mantra will lead to better content marketing results. By understanding how customers behave, what they seek, where they find information, and how they find it, you will be able to create content that effectively engages customers.
In contrast to numbers-and-facts sales collateral, content marketing is explanatory and persuasive. In other words, it makes it easier to convince the target audience to choose your product or service based on the value and the information it contains. The benefits of content marketing outweigh the risks involved. With proper strategy, content marketing can help your business grow. In this way, you’ll become a trusted advisor and help potential customers find a solution to their problems.
It’s more connected to CRM
If you’re selling a software product, the lifeblood of a software company is product-led marketing. While content marketing is designed to educate consumers about your company’s features and benefits, product marketing is more focused on sales. Product marketing focuses on providing solutions to customer problems and offers, and content marketing still involves subtle messaging pointing the customer toward purchase. Listed below are some of the ways product marketing and content marketing can work together.
Product marketing is the process of getting a brand name out there and product details in front of a wide audience. Content marketing connects with your target audience by offering solutions to their problems and making them feel that your product will help them solve their problems. Product marketing relies on product knowledge to drive sales, while content marketing focuses on educating and entertaining consumers. These two types of marketing work best in tandem, as each can benefit your company.
