“Content.” The buzzword of 21st century marketing. But what is content marketing exactly? Check out these 11 definitions from around the web, starting with everyone’s favorite dictionary…
“Content marketing is any marketing format that involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire customers.”
“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
and
“Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing.”
“Storytelling for Sales.”
“Content marketing is a pull, rather than a push, strategy. Content doesn’t interrupt, it attracts.”
“Content marketing is a strategic technique and set of tactics to fulfill business goals by using content across the buyer’s journey. Content marketing is an integrated part of an overall marketing strategy, whereby the focus is on the needs, behavior, tasks, signals, benefits, interactions, touchpoints and customer experiences of target audiences and buyer personas.”
– Content Marketing Experience
“Content Marketing means creating and sharing valuable free content to attract and convert prospects into customers, and customers into repeat buyers. The type of content you share is closely related to what you sell; in other words, you’re educating people so that they know, like, and trust you enough to do business with you.”
“Content Marketing: creating and distributing digital assets for the purpose of achieving business results.”
“Content marketing is publicly and freely sharing information about your business and industry. It can include text (blogs, ebooks, press releases and tweets), video, audio and online events.”
“Custom publishing marries the marketing ambitions of a company with the information needs of its target audience. This occurs through the delivery of editorial content – via print, Internet, and other media – so intrinsically valuable that it moves the recipient’s behavior in a desired direction.”
“Content is information put to use.”
– Bob Boiko, Content Management Bible
“Content Marketing is creating or curating non-product content—be it informational, educational, entertaining, etc.—and publishing it to contact points with customers to get their attention, to focus on the topic around your solution, and pull them closer to learning more about you.”
What’s your definition of content marketing? How does your definition inform your content strategy? Share your opinion in the comments below!
Read more: What to Do When Someone Steals Your Content