Our previous posts covered digital marketing basics<\/a> and essential digital marketing terms<\/a> to help you successfully market your business online. But all of this knowledge won’t amount to much without great content.<\/p>\n Content is and always will be king. But even a king can’t thrive without his court. Digital marketing won\u2019t work without great content, and content marketing won\u2019t work without the power of digital marketing. Are they actually one and the same?<\/p>\n Since marketing went digital, there continues to be much confusion around the various tactics and terms involved in content marketing vs. digital marketing. Content marketing and digital marketing are two terms that seem to get a bit blurred in understanding and execution. Small business owners may have questions:<\/p>\n You need a strategy to integrate both into one cohesive campaign that attracts leads and grows your business. Here are some best practices to help you develop a thorough working knowledge of content marketing vs. digital marketing so that you can use both to your advantage.<\/p>\n Digital marketing and content marketing are two terms that are often used interchangeably. And while there certainly are some key differences between the two, there really is no way to do one well without the other.<\/p>\n That said, a simple definition of digital marketing includes all online marketing activities from website development and search engine optimization (SEO) to social media marketing and pay-per-click advertising. We unpacked this extensively in our post: Digital Marketing 101: Invest Heavily in These Tactics for Big Long-Term Payoffs.<\/a><\/p>\n Content marketing refers to the actual content you create. This includes the topics you choose to address with your content, the medium you use to communicate (video, blogs, podcasts, etc.), and the platforms you use to disseminate the content.<\/p>\n In other words, digital marketing is all about driving traffic and converting leads into customers, while content marketing is all about creating valuable content that attracts and engages your target audience.<\/p>\n As you can see, there is a massive overlap between digital marketing and content marketing. Rather than thinking of these as content marketing vs. digital marketing, consider them as content marketing AND digital marketing. They\u2019re like two sides of one coin. They complement each other, and you really can\u2019t do either well without the other.<\/p>\n We want to get across in this post the importance\u2014urgency\u2014of high-quality content. Because not all content is created equal. In fact, there is some really, really, bad content out there. Just because it\u2019s optimized and gets traffic doesn\u2019t mean it will convert.<\/p>\n Your content still has to be helpful, engaging, and somewhat entertaining in order to produce leads. This is a case where \u201csomething is better than nothing\u201d definitely does not apply.<\/p>\n To get ROI from your digital marketing efforts; you must have great content.<\/p>\n There is so much noise online today. People are sensitive to fluff and look to do business with brands that genuinely care.<\/p>\n Creating great content accomplishes this (and more) as you cultivate and nurture ongoing relationships with your audience. Take the time to think through this process and develop messages that your audience actually wants to read.<\/p>\n Read More: 5 Must-Haves for a Successful Content Marketing Campaign<\/a><\/p>\n When developing a content plan to marry up with your digital marketing strategy, start with your sales team or customer service reps. What are the most common questions they receive from prospects and customers? Brainstorm a list and get writing!<\/p>\n The most common questions prospects ask before making a purchasing decision are the basic \u201cwho, what, when, where, why, and how\u201d questions. Don\u2019t shy away from content that addresses subjects such as \u201ccost\u201d or \u201cbest in class,\u201d as this is the type of research consumers are doing before they ever contact a salesperson.<\/p>\n Read More: Fundamentals of a Successful Social Media Content Plan (and How to Follow Through)<\/a><\/p>\n After brainstorming with your sales and customer service teams, it\u2019s wise to conduct keyword research<\/a>. This content marketing best practice helps you track the data behind specific search terms people use to find your products and services and discover untapped content writing topics for digital marketing.<\/p>\n You will almost certainly find search terms that your internal teams missed. This is to be expected, which is why the keyword research really separates the rookies from the pros in the great content game.<\/p>\n The funny thing about keyword research is that your ideal customer is rarely searching for something the way you think they are. So it\u2019s important to have that research on hand when crafting headlines and content outlines. The right keyword in the right places on your website will win you valuable organic traffic and page one placement on the search engine results page (SERP).<\/p>\n Blogging is usually the first stop on the content marketing express. It makes sense to start here because it\u2019s easier and relatively more accessible as compared to other mediums such as video marketing or podcasting.<\/p>\n As accessible as a content marketing blog can be, don\u2019t stop here. Consumers prefer video to the written word and are more likely to watch your video content than read your blog. That doesn\u2019t mean you should skip blogging.<\/p>\n The immense SEO<\/a> value of written content justifies the effort to publish written content. But when it comes to engagement, you\u2019re more likely to engage audiences on a deeper level using video content.<\/p>\n Think of it this way, optimized written content attracts leads to your website, and engaging multimedia content (such as brand videos<\/a>), keeps them there longer. This approach to content marketing is effective because you can repurpose video content<\/a> in multiple ways to share videos across social media channels and formats.<\/p>\n\n
Content Marketing vs. Digital Marketing What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h3>\n
Create Content That Works For You (Rather Than Against You)<\/h3>\n
Create Content that Answers Your Customer\u2019s Questions<\/h4>\n
Do Keyword Research<\/h4>\n
Create Content Using Multiple Mediums<\/h4>\n