Time and tide waits for none. You need to move at a very fast pace or the world will trample you and move on – Virus. This theory applies to any and everything from the advancements in technology to the updates and discoveries that are made. And in all of those cases the first to the finish wins. There is a similarity even when it comes to choosing the form of marketing for your business. If somehow you end up choosing the wrong option, then you might’ve to suffer because of it. Both Content Marketing and Digital Marketing plays a vital role for uplifting your business.
Most businesses are now focusing their efforts on digital or online marketing. Since, there are more clients available online than there are offline.
Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing or online marketing as per Wikipedia is “a way of marketing that utilizes internet and online based digital technologies. Desktop computers, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms are among the technology used to market products and services.” Social media marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, PPC, and several other methods fall under the scope of digital marketing. The branch of Digital Marketing is so big that it engulfs everything online, even web development.
Content Marketing VS Digital Marketing
Though Digital Marketing covers everything and only with equal footing on all of them can you make up a successful business, there are some parts of this form of marketing that needs extra care because of their characteristics and their capability to sink and raise your business. One such form of Marketing is Content Marketing which if done in a good way [Link] brings a lot of customers to you with the help of one or the other, but when done wrong it takes its toll by taking a steep dive in the number of customers. In this article we’ll talk about the differences between Digital Marketing and Content Marketing. What is best to use when you are trying to create a successful business.Did you know that using content to build your business is just as important as using a digital marketing strategy? But do you really know the difference in content marketing vs digital marketing? Both Content Marketing and Digital Marketing are very important on their own. These are also important for your business even when done together. While Digital marketing basically brings out sales, content brings the leads and can also convert potential.
So for an outsider both content marketing and Digital Marketing might seem like the same thing but you will find and understand the differences when you look close enough. So, let’s take a dive into understanding what is Content Marketing because only then can you understand what makes it so important that most businesses take a steep dive without it and why businesses give their interest and money to take care of their Content Marketing.
Content Marketing according to Wikipedia is “a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. It is often used by businesses in order to achieve the following goals: attract attention and generate leads, expand their customer base, generate or increase online sales, increase brand awareness or credibility, and engage an online community of users.”
Content includes everything from blogging to posting photos or videos, and even Spotify playlists. As previously stated, digital marketing is superior for generating sales, whereas content is only good for generating leads.
‘So why should anyone care about Content Marketing when it’s Digital that generates revenue?’ You might be wondering’ and you’re right. Along with many other entrepreneurs and business owners who do not commit completely towards Content Marketing. As for the answer to your question actually, if you think about it Content is what pulls many of your other ways of Digital Marketing.
Actually what content does is that it brings the interest of consumers in your company or in your product or brand or whatever. Only with good and great content can you actually make people excited about your business and also make people aware about your brand.
Content makes your business trustworthy and I’ve talked about this a lot in some of my previous works [Link]. And it’s true every little piece of well written content makes you trustworthy and brings a few loyal customers. So, in the future if a customer is actually looking for something that is related to your area of business he finds it and takes your advice before he makes a decision.
And that ‘s marketing is what it’s all about, right? Getting customers that are loyal to your product and services through your content.
I hope that by now you know what is the basic difference between Digital Marketing and Content Marketing. If not then let me put it this way Digital Marketing generates sales, while Content Marketing works on increasing customer engagement.
Now you know the basic difference between Content Marketing and Digital Marketing. But until now we have only been talking about the differences between them in a general sense. It’s time to take this discussion into detail and learn more about them in detail and the best place to start would be to understand both Digital Marketing and Content Marketing and what all comes under it separately.
So let’s start with Digital Marketing. You’ve already read about Digital Marketing and everything that comes under it.
But this time we’ll look into it in detail with a single viewpoint of how it affects businesses for the better. And with Digital Marketing your sales tactics play a great role. And therefore you need to concentrate more on Digital Marketing. Under Digital Marketing there is,
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Email Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Under Search Engine Optimization you try to make your website occur on the top of the result list.
Note: Result List is the list with various websites that appears when you try to look for a question.
Understand that getting on top of the page is not easy and takes a lot of time. Now, the obvious question could be ‘how does one optimize their page to climb on top of the search result page?’. Well, the answer is by inserting keywords, writing title and meta descriptions, writing alt tags for images, and optimizing H1 tags.
You can also do ongoing SEO by doing things such as blogging, backlinking and internal linking. After doing your optimization search engines then rank your content based on your keywords. And thus, when customers enter keywords, search engines your website is displayed based on your rankings. Now an un-optimized website won’t appear to your potential and thereby your sales will decrease.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is frequently mistaken with SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The difference between SEM and SEO is that unlike SEO, SEM works on money. It is a form of PPC under which advertisers place bids on keywords with the help of finance trying to appear at the top in the search results page. Thereby making it one of the most effective ways to promote your products and services thereby growing your business in a crowded digital marketplace.
Search Engine Marketing works only if your potential customers are looking to buy something immediately. So that when your advertisement appears on the result page your customers choose you. However, even with an effective SEM, a poor SEO can result in a loss. Because even if you spend money on SEM, if you don’t have a good SEO, your website will not ranked at the top in the search results. This will result in a waste of your time and effort.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media is similar to Content Marketing in that it consists of only posts. It aims at increasing brand awareness. Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing are a lot more dependent on each other than you realize and I’ll talk about it later. Under Digital Marketing through Social Media there also comes a part of sponsored ads and also remarketing.
Under sponsored advertisements the company pays to promote its social media posts. The basic aim of a sponsored ad is to have a customer see your ad and make a purchase. By remarketing your ads you attract those customers who came to you and tried to make a purchase but couldn’t do it for whatever reason. The ads on social media need to be engaging and interesting or else your potential leads or customers will just move on without a second thought. Thereby create posts that are compelling and can hold attention to your potentials as, longer the attention more will be the chances of conversion.
Email Marketing
Under this form of Digital Marketing information, offers and blogs are sent directly to your contact’s inbox. Done to increase your change of leads into customers or to retain old customers it is a great way to reach out to your targeted group to push them into buying your product. With well written content you try to spam your customers or leads into buying your product.
Mobile Marketing
Not very different from Email Marketing, Mobile marketing is also used to retain old customers by letting them know of offers available thereby inviting them back to buy from you. Done with a set of contact information you send messages to your previous and old customers, either trying to bring them back or trying to keep the old ones.
So there you go, that is everything there is to know about Digital Marketing with how it helps businesses and grow and stay on top through-out. But is Digital Marketing sufficient enough to bring new leads and also convert them to your profit.
Probably not!
Content Marketing Types
Actually many first timers either come to you through different sources and or after liking your website. Now, it is true that this might not apply to those businesses who don’t have a website. But let’s admit those who don’t have a website in these times are either living under a rock or don’t have a business. As time has progressed so has people’s mentality. Now staying online and keeping everything online is very important.
Blogs
Blogging is one of the most important things when it comes to online websites and therefore should be done regularly. It’s through daily and regular blogs that you can establish yourself as matter or market experts thereby people trusting you. With a good enough blog you’ll climb to the top in no time.
Blogging about your business and how it works, etc. Relatable topics make your audience aware of your business and what it is that you do. It’s also good to make a schedule of your entire month of topics that you’re going to write blogs on, thereby making your job decided. The purpose of writing blogs is to provide information that your audience is looking for and the way that you find out if this is working is by looking at your website’s statistics and understanding the amount of time people are spending at your blog.
Videos
Stats says that people prefer videos as the medium of content and that the videos are more useful in the mode of spreading knowledge. Videos are also said to be making the most conversions and thereby drive the profit and without much expenditure you can create valuable and important content. You don’t need a studio or a professional video maker to create these kinds of videos that will help your profits. Through videos you can portray and visualise your brand messaging effectively thereby making video a versatile medium. So, having a good video marketing strategy can bring people to respond by taking the initiative to learn about your business, even converting by making a purchase.
Photos
Understand that writing is not enough and is also boring. As a result, textual information alone is insufficient to hold anyone’s attention. Relying solely on words may lead to some people dismissing your intended speech. As a result, an image is required because it is regarded content. Believe it or not, a high-quality photo may say a lot about your brand. Now remember that these photos need to be informative, pleasing, story-telling, etc. So that they are enough to capture anyone’s attention on social media such as Facebook or Instagram. If you simply post after giving it some thought, you will notice a significant increase in conversions and ROI.
Infographics
Infographics are fun right, aren’t they? They are informative, educational and exciting ways to share information with your audience. These infographics make your readers/audiences believe that you know what you’re talking about. There is some kind of versatility to them. They can be used as social media posts, posts on websites, etc. Either way they are fun and engaging at the same time and can capture the attention of audiences.
Content on Social Media
Now there is a very important connection between Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing. This connection is so strong that one cannot be completely up to its full potential without the other. That’s to say that without content, Social Media Marketing won’t work.
Therefore, it’s better to conjoin these two. And therefore, what comes out is considered ‘fun’ content. Facebook memes, playlists, Instagram posts and stories, etc. are forms of content that includes both of these.
To get noticed while having fun can be done only through creativity. Personal and close to heart content is what makes you attached to your customers. Showing BTS of your business and other such personal details shows your brand’s personality to others.
Through collaborating with big personalities you can also boost your audiences. You can even bring people new to your business just by attaching your name to famous people. You can also use your social media as content by trying to use your handle as a survey point. Ask your followers questions about your products that will engage them in your business. But at the same time also learn to answer and as a result you’ll earn their trust and respect.
Content Marketing and Digital Marketing together
As a result, recognize that both types of marketing are superior in their own right. Depending on the type of business you run, you may require more of one and less of the other.
However, keep in mind that in today’s world of development, content is critical for marketing your product. Because strategy and tools alone will not allow you to make significant changes. That is where content comes in to meet with Digital Marketing.
A few paragraphs above I mentioned that Digital Marketing and Content Marketing go hand in hand. Well here is what I meant by it.
Remember that Content Marketing comes under Digital Marketing. Therefore, is done based on data procured by Digital Marketing tools and techniques. As it was mentioned before Content plays a big part in Social Media Marketing. Using social media to promote your content and to market your blog are two sides of the same coin. Finally, keep in mind that combining Digital Marketing with Content Marketing can be really beneficial to your company. In addition, combining the two with outstanding content and a solid plan will propel your business to new heights. Hence, increase earnings and conversions.
