These days, the importance of content for online marketing and communication is receiving a lot of attention. And I would say: it’s about time. I’ve only been shouting about this from the rooftops for the past fifteen years or so.
Why has it taken so long? Simple. Everyone was so occupied with broadcasting and all these new marketing channels and techniques like websites and email marketing (yes, once upon a time that was something new) that absolutely no attention was paid to the essence.
And that essence is: how can I use interactive marketing more effectively in order to better serve my customers and generate more turnover? Period.
Most companies didn’t understand that customer-focused content was a crucial part of that effort. People were too busy investing in technology and applying conventional one-way communication to interactive media. Which is already per se a contradiction in terms.
Content was seen as an expense item, nothing more.
Relevance and conversion
Now this whole situation has changed 180 degrees. Content is suddenly the cornerstone of every form of marketing and communication, conversion, social media, you name it. And that is entirely justified, although we mustn’t lose sight of the importance of the channels of communication, either. And of course we also have to put the role of content in perspective.
Online content is multi-dimensional and omnipresent. But here again, the essence remains: how can I better serve my customers and generate more turnover?
Whatever way you look at it: online content, still above all written content, is for marketers first and foremost a matter of conversion.
For the prospect or customer, it is a matter of relevance as a function of what he is looking for here and now.
And whoever succeeds in bringing these two together understands what online content is really about.
J-P De Clerck is an interactive marketing expert, well-known
blogger and owner of conversionation.
You can connect with him via Twitter or on Facebook.
Join me in the Social Marketing Forum