According to the definition.de site, content can be defined as “something that is contained within a thing”, but its meaning is more complex. In this article I will talk in depth about what is content and its importance in marketing.
We are all used to consuming content in different formats and platforms, but we are not so aware of what content is and, often, of its importance in life in general or in marketing.
Have you reflected that everything we consume is a form of content? But how do we catalog or differentiate it? What determines the success of a content? Before continuing, I invite you to subscribe to the Tiendanube newsletter to receive more content like this every week for free. Fill in your information below.
Content Definition
The content It can also be defined as all information or that is “contained” in a physical or digital medium. —or platform—. This information can be presented in different formats such as:
- Text
- Graphics
- Photographs
- Illustrations
- Images
- Videos
- audio
- animations
What are the types of content platforms?
In the digital and analog world, there are different types of platforms for content. Below I will mention the most used.
digital
- Website
- Online store
- Blog
- Social networks (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.)
- Digital magazine
- Digital newspaper
- Text file as PDF or Word
- book
- Educational platforms such as Moodle or Classroom
- streaming platforms
- newsletter
- Podcast
- App
analogs
- TV
- Radio
- Newspaper
- Magazines and publications
- Books
- brochures
- Records and vinyl
Meaning of content in marketing
In marketing, content is a fundamental piece that could be considered as everything that is used to advertise and spread a product or service. It is a strategy that focuses on the creation of valuable content for the attraction, interaction and retention of customers.
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Content Types
- Informative
- Educational
- promotional
- Creative
- transactional
We could group content by the type of information it uses. Now let’s delve into each type to make this distinction very clear.
Informative
Informative content has the function of, as its name indicates, reporting on a specific situation or fact. The supports or platforms that use this type of content the most are newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, etc.
Within content marketing, it is used to attract the public to the conversion funnel, specifically to the top of the funnel —in English known as the top of the funnel—.
Educational
Educational content seeks to form knowledge or technical skills, this type of content is used largely in schools, workshops, institutions, but also in marketing.
The main formats of this type of content are manuals, instructions, textbooks, presentations, videos, webinars, etc.
Creative
Creative content is one of the most complex types of content, as it involves different communication tools and sometimes strategies. To create creative content you need to connect with emotions or specific situations, in this way, users identify with or aspire to what you are presenting.
The main technique to create this type of content is the . Commercials, series, TV shows, product launch campaigns are examples of creative content. However, they should not be confused with the creativity and originality that generally accompanies any type of content.
Here is an example of creative content in video format.
Promotional or transactional
Promotional content focuses on the user taking a specific action such as a purchase, download, or subscription. This type of content is brief, direct and concise, and is accompanied by a limited time or conditions.
You can identify this type of content as the commercials or radio segments promoting the sale season in a store, discount emails or billboards, the free ebook, and even a free trial, to name a few.
Importance of content in inbound marketing
Now that you know a little more about content marketing, the different types and formats of content; we can talk about the importance of the content in the .
This methodology uses other strategies such as email marketing, SEO and social media for the dissemination of valuable content, and thus take potential customers to the moment of maturation necessary to generate sales.
Inbound marketing is very important because it creates a base of contacts —potential and qualified— that will grow exponentially, which will generate a greater reach and the possibility of building a community. As a result of the above, the image of the brand will benefit.
Although it is not a strategy with which results are obtained immediately, it is one of the most profitable in the long term, due to its automation capacity and because the content can be created with little budget and has a long lifespan. Useful.
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Why is content king?
Surely you have heard the phrase “content is king” and although it may seem somewhat repetitive, it is real. The advantage of implementing a strategy based on valuable content is that users or potential customers do not feel invaded or forced to buy or consume something.
In other words, they arrive thanks to a need that will be satisfied through content that adds value to their lives; users create trust links and identify with brands if they offer them something valuable in exchange for nothing or their contact.
This mentality has changed the way of consuming information in the last twenty years. There are countless tutorials, manuals and free content that make people’s lives easier and society increasingly consumes more of this type of digital product.
Even new trends and ways of creating content that adapt to the tastes of users arise. In other words, it is necessary to be constantly updated to offer what people want and need to consume. A clear example of this is personified content, if you want to delve into this, click on the image below:
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The information architecture in content
In the digitalized present in which we live, the architecture or hierarchy of information is relevant in many areas, since this organization of information and elements helps us to offer what users are looking for in a more useful, simple or even friendly way. That is, it permeates both navigation and content organization.
Information architecture can be seen on a website, online store, app, as well as in a blog post or video. For this reason, it also coexists with different disciplines such as SEO, web development, UI and UX design, to name a few. It was inherited from the hierarchy of information that is used in many fields such as education.
In conclusion
There are different types of content and they can be classified by the type of format in which they are made, the information they handle, as well as by the communicative objective and platform where they are hosted. For marketing, it has become a tool of great value because, in addition to solving user problems, it can entertain and its production is usually low cost.
Due to the above, content has taken center stage and promoted more complex marketing strategies such as inbound marketing and content marketing.
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