Take Your Marketing Online!

CHAPTER 5

Content Marketing: Blogging and Beyond

Much like “thought leadership,” the term “content marketing” gets thrown around a lot these days, yet its definition is not always clear. We know it’s important to incorporate this tactic into our marketing plans and that it’s somewhat different than what is considered more traditional marketing, but what is it really?

In this chapter, we’ll discuss the differences between outbound and inbound marketing tactics, define content marketing, and dig into the most common methods of delivering content to your audience.

FIRST, A BIT OF HISTORY

Until relatively recently, nearly all marketing was what is now known as “one-way,” “outbound,” or “push” marketing. This means that you broadcast a message about your services to your audience and try to grab their attention with your efforts. Outbound marketing tactics include things like ads, direct mail, and telemarketing. The idea is to deliver your message to prospects repeatedly so they are aware of your firm and contact you if and when they need the services you offer.

Now, we have added a new layer called “two-way,” “inbound,” or “pull” marketing. This strategy attempts to deliver a message to a smaller, targeted audience at the time when they need to hear it most. It involves creating content that people will seek out so they can participate in conversations (two-way) rather than simply being bombarded by multiple messages that they may or may not care about. Common pull tactics include ...