Definition [KNWLG]: What is Content Marketing? How does Content Marketing fit your business?

Gartner's Hype Cycle, Where is Content Marketing now?

Content Marketing is a new field in the world of internet marketing. As a new term, most domain experts in related fields, seem to think differently on what it means. The term itself, reflects the technical social media site owners. Social media sites essentially give us a framework to connect and contribute content. Their view is: if we build a friendly and easy to use "frame", the "content" will be "contributed" by the users. Facebook is an excellent example, the structure is provided by the site, the content is user contributed. Content Marketing does not rely on user contributed content. The method uses writing, graphics, video and linking (or quotes) to influence readers to take action. Content Marketing methods usually provide information and show examples of how products are used. Sites like Amazon are a great example where publishers and manufacturers create extensive amount of information on products. Amazon has been so successful using this technique, many people consider the site as a reliable source of information. In many product categories, not only books (i.e. electronics, photo equipment, white goods), the site has more information than even the original manufacturer's sites. Also, with deep product information in a product category, comparison shopping is easier then in almost any other site. 

In addition to helping sites like Amazon in providing a great user experience, Content Marketing also helps in influencing a customer's impression. In complex products, like computer peripherals and digital cameras, describing the technology used for each feature, like a CCD imagger IC (Integrated Device / chip) is too detailed and may not help in deciding if the new technology is worth the additional cost. Hyping technologies, new product features, and products which offer new capabilities is not interesting to most buyers. In the case of a digital camera, showing differences in picture quality, explaining how the new technology can be used (i.e. greater image resolution, bigger color range, more sensitivity to low light) is much more convincing. This is what Content Marketing is developing today to become a more user involved marketing method. Content Marketing is a deeper more involved way of engaging with people. In the digital photography world, which is going through as much of a growth and innovation period as the internet, content marketing is a great example to see. Actually, both technology and it's application (how we use technology), is revolutionizing how we do things. In digital photography not only smaller cameras, but also higher resolution, smarter camera controls (i.e. face detection, multiple focus zones, light/color balancing), and connectivity to the internet and mobile devices are all changing how we take and use images. The process to use all this new technology is not always easy for everyone. Here is where Content Marketing can help. By engaging photographers, explaining not only features, but also how to use them, showing examples, comparing different manufacturer's approaches to technology and how they apply them (the old Nikon vs. Cannon race), are examples of how content marketing can help.

In fields where the internet is completely new to people, Content Marketing can make a huge impact. Internet sub-sectors like individual investing, internet gaming and online gambling are just now getting traction. What stock trading has done almost thirty years ago, gaming is becoming today. There were a few successes with interactive poker, and a serious attempts with other games. But now the internet gaming industry is trying to get into many new games and the new games on mobile connected devices. While simple (and exciting) games like Angrry Birds and Candy Crash get millions of players, there are still plenty of games played by kids at home not connected to the internet. While game playing is not a field like digital photography or consumer electronics, there are complex games and many strategy techniques which interest players. Here for a long time game companies were depending on user contributed content, mostly blogs written by players for players. But the competitive landscape and expensive development cost are pushing developers to promote their games faster and with more techniques than ever before. Today there are many experienced players writing and playing games online (and in videos) demonstrating to new players the joys and challenges of new games. 

The Gartner Hype Curve above is a lesson learned from hundreds of start-ups, new technologies and innovative products. Essentially it shows how an idea first starts out high on the Hype scale. Then dips, until it eventually settles down. At this point in time, it seems like Content Marketing is hitting the high point in the hype curve. The position on the curve is a varies with each product sub-sector. Sometimes the Content Marketing effort in a market sector will be hyped for a while, then another sector will take it's place. In the online gaming and some financial sectors there is a push to use Content Marketing. Usually this is a sign of some product development and early market introduction. It could also mean a slight weakness or maturity of a product sector and the need to reintroduce and refresh the interest for users.

This introduction to what I see as Content Marketing should be a good basis to start understanding what people are doing with this technique. It is relevant to many internet marketing fields. Even if you are a different type of marketer, a developer or a site owner, you should be familiar with the technique, it's uses and the benefits it brings to a product in the market.