Content Marketing: Interruption’s Smarter Replacement

Advertisers are struggling with the level of resistance, and stubborn refusal, of people to respond to their ads. People are fed up with being bombarded with messages that have nothing of value to offer them. Cynicism of advertising is now a badge of pride worn to show you won’t be duped by clever wordplay.

It’s time interruption vacated its spot as the marketer’s weapon of choice, and made way for a smarter, more sophisticated replacement.

Anybody who has read my eBook ‘How to Convert Browsers into Buyers‘ will be aware of my belief in the marketing value of good quality, useful content. Well, it would appear that I’m not the only one pushing such an approach after I was lucky enough to stumble upon the Junta 42 blog: an uplifting place for copywriters because it’s devoted to promoting the value of well written, useful content.

For anybody thinking of developing a content marketing strategy I’d highly recommend heading over and having a read through their free eBook ‘Get Content Get Customers’.

It adds its voice to the growing clamor for replacing interruption marketing with the more sophisticated approach of engaging people with content of value that educates and resonates, rather than dictates.

The eBook also offers a couple of case studies of businesses who’ve thrived from content marketing, and learnt the power of engagement over interruption:

Mindjet specialize in software for brainstorming and visualizing information. Prior to the launch of their latest MindManager software, few people were aware or understood what mind mapping was. In order to inform and spread awareness about their software, Mindjet created a mind map to assist reporters and analysts in writing web 2.0 focused articles.

The mind map was released as a free download, and because it offered value to its target audience it helped generate 4000 blog links and 232 mentions in the traditional media.

Mindjet now predominantly use content marketing for driving awareness of their products. They rely on the power of word of mouth because they know that if they’re providing useful content then people will share and talk about it, rather than just ignore it.

I’ve written previously about the power of consumer magazines for developing an affinity with your products, and this has been echoed by electronics retailer BestBuy. They produce a free magazine in which the only obvious promotional element is the logo on the cover. The magazine provides product information, reviews and insight which their customers will want to read, and not just throw in the nearest bin after they’ve left the store.

Because it offers useful content, the magazine builds trust, credibility and a positive association with the brand, which, as every marketer knows, then leads to the holy grail of loyalty and repeated sales.

Junta 42’s eBook raises the point that content marketing is such a new approach that few PR or marketing agencies will have strategies in place to be able to deliver the flood of high quality articles that businesses are soon going to be demanding.

This means greater opportunities for those freelance copywriters who’ve added the ‘content marketing’ string to their bow, and can demonstrate their awareness and understanding of driving smart campaigns that engage, rather than interrupt.

8 thoughts on “Content Marketing: Interruption’s Smarter Replacement

  1. Joe Pulizzi, Junta42

    Matt…thanks for the plug. You are correct…there is tremendous opportunity for copywriters and freelancers to take advantage of this “wave of content marketing.” More companies are coming to understand that making your prospects and customers more intelligent leads to the path of higher profits for businesses.

    Best
    Joe

  2. Hi Joe,

    Content marketing makes complete sense to me and when I speak to businesses they agree but then hesitate when it comes to putting an ongoing strategy in place. I think it’s only a matter of time though before it gets rolled out on a larger scale.

    In the meantime I intend to keep pushing it as much as I can and it’s encouraging to discover sites such as yours doing the same thing. I look forward to reading your book when it’s released.

    Thanks for leaving a comment.

    Matt.

  3. Hi Matt

    Great article. Blogging on content marketing myself from a location quite near to you.

    ‘The definition of Marketing is the influencing of opinion through content, converted to profitable action.’

    Wishing you every success with your business

    best wishes
    Pete

  4. Hi Pete,

    Some of the top marketing blogs are now focused on content marketing so we appear to be on the cusp of a wave.

    I’m glad you liked the post. I’ve subscribed to your blog and I’ll be interested to hear what you have to say.

    Thanks,

    Matt.

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