What is content marketing? Content marketing is when the brand involves consumers in the creation and sharing of valuable online material. It differs from traditional marketing, where they persuade customers via one-way communication marketing strategies (eg. Billboards, flyers, etc). Some examples of content marketing include infographics, webpages, podcasts, videos, etc. All of these can be shared and passed around to different consumers online. 

Content marketing can be very effective if done right. It is significantly cheaper (62% less) than traditional marketing. It can build brand awareness with useful and engaging content as it provides value for target buyers. It also helps to build trust for the target audience and fosters a stronger customer relationship. 

An example of a brand that has successfully utilised content marketing is Coca Cola. Their share a coke campaign won 7 Cannes Lion awards. It aimed to connect with consumers on a personal level by emotionally connecting through personalisation. This encouraged consumers to share their experience online via Facebook, Instagram, etc. Around 76,000 consumers shared their personalised coke cans online. This resulted in an increase in Facebook website traffic by 870% and a 39% increase in likes on the Coca-Cola Facebook page. 

However, content marketing isn’t as easy as you think. There are many challenges that are present. Some of the biggest challenges include time, content quality and creation, idea generation, and distribution. 

Can you think of any brands that have stood out from using content marketing?