5 Reasons Why Content Marketing is Replacing Advertising

Content Marketing or Inbound Marketing is quickly replacing traditional forms of marketing such as advertising at a rapid rate.  Traditional forms of advertising which involve interrupting and interfering with our attention are becoming less effective.  Here are 5 reasons why this is happening.

1. Information is readily available - With the internet we aren't forced to read newspapers or watch TV to force us to see advertisements.
2. Businesses see a higher return on their investments.  The data is in, 60% less cost per lead for ROI.
3. It's better engagement.  By giving people valuable information you create an engagement you can get from advertising.
4. Creates trust.  If I'm  freely giving information then it creates an underlying bond that can be nurtured.
5. People want answers - They are becoming less tolerant of interruptions.

It's a pretty simple concept really.  Almost too easy.  Create content (information) that your buyer personas (potential customers) are looking for to alleviate their pain points (problems).  Let's rephrase that in normal language.  Give information to your potential customers to solve their problems.  It's pretty obvious why this would work right

So why has it taken so long to catch on? I think it's because there's a lag in results generated from the work. We are so impatient that if we don't see immediate results we think its not working and try something else.  Content marketing takes time to develop and see results, and the expectation of overtnight success gets in the way.

WARNING! Don't exploit content marketing with thin content

Isn't it always true that when something works it gets exploited?  Thin content means not very well developed, or short.  If you try to generate lots of poorly developed content you'll get penalized by search engines.  Google is already penalizing websites that do this. Trust me you don't want to be penalized by Google.  So make sure you create in depth posts about informative topics and don't try to take any shortcuts.

Make sure your content is relevant to your industry.  If you are a shoemaker it doesn't make sense to write about your tavels in Europe.  Although some may find that interesting enough it's not going to attract the right kind of readers.  We want potential customers not bad fits for your business.

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