Content Marketing has come out to be one of the strong buzzwords in recent years.

 

But the reality is different.

 

And the reality is surprising.

 

Content Marketing has been around far longer than the internet was.

 

Content Marketing is as old as 300 years ago.

 

It was during the year 1732, when a man named Benjamin Franklin, published his book called Poor Richard’s Almanack.

 

It was way back he introduced the world with this Content Marketing approach.

 

Content Marketing is all about storytelling and we humans resonate very well with the stories. Our attention has a tendency to go to those who have good stories.

 

The impact manifolds when the same story comes out in the form of storytelling. This is a mix of creating good content and marketing it in a correct way.

 

Now coming back to your question.

 

What is Content Marketing?

 

Before you understand the meaning of Content Marketing, lets us first know the meaning of Content.

 

Content is any form of information that will educate, infuse, motivate, inspire, convince a set of your targeted audience.

 

Now, that you have the meaning of Content in place.

 

Let’s move to the next step.

 

According to Wikipedia- Content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online.

 

This marketing uses things like articles, e-books, videos, entertainment, and webinars that answer specific questions people have and provide them with solutions.

 

Some of the best examples seen are mentioned below :

 

1. Amul 

This is a great approach from Amul in the form of Content Marketing.

Everyone knows about the cute animated girl in all the products of Amul. 

Whenever there is any fresh issue or a cause. Amul girl always comes out with its own opinion in the form of content. 

 

 

 

2. Oreo India 

Orea cream biscuit ads, which teach us how to eat biscuit?

‘Twist Karo, Lick Karo, Aur Phir Dunk Karo’. 

This ad created a niche in the market which was dominated by Parle and Britannia. 

This was considered as one of the best content marketing examples 

 

 3. Flipkart

One of the ads of Flipkart with the tagline “‘India Ka fashion capital’ touched on the customers’ thoughts and preferences. This content successfully created an awareness of the latest trends and fashion in the public mind.

 

4. Shaadi.com

 

Shaadi.com came up with the hashtags #takethe pleasure off.  This was the latest ad where the mother appreciated her daughter’s decision to say no to a marriage proposal she was not keen on.

Most of the ads in Shaadi.com are female-centric, where they try to touch a chord with their audience with very general concepts.

 

 

The Different Types of Content

Following are the different types of Content used in different formats for marketing.

• Blogging
• Video
• Podcasting
• Infographics
• Email
• Visual content
• Ebooks
• Lead magnets
• Whitepapers
• Presentations
• Quizzes
• Checklists
• Courses
• Webinars
• Free apps
• Tools

 

Why Content Marketing is important. 

Content Marketing is very important and it’s gaining popularity at a very fast pace.

 

Most of the business use it for various reasons and they have been using it for hundreds of years.

 

But, you have to understand one basic fundamental.

 

Is Content Marketing right for your business?

 

Just because all the businesses whether B2B or B2C is using, doesn’t mean it will be the right fit for you.

 

The answer to this is many,  but you need to find the best answer for this.

 

One answer out of many can be, the power to provide the solution for your problem should be the top priority.

 

Content Marketing acts as a powerhouse and has the capability to solve the below-mentioned issues.

 

1. Content Marketing has the power to drive traffic

 

Good well-written content in the web pages brings traffic to your website. So it is considered as a traffic problem solver.

 

2.Content Marketing has the power of lead generation

 

Well-versed content brings traffic to your website. Quality and engaging content will provide value to your audience. A right lead magnet will act as a catalyst in the conversion of your visitor to a lead.

A lead magnet can be any piece of valuable information like an ebook, checklist, webinar, courses, etc. Thus, Content marketing has the power of lead generation.

 

3.Content Marketing has the power of conversion.

 

Figure out the problem of your audience and try to address their problem. Explain to them the possibilities of overcoming the problem.

Help them with the solution and try to fix the problems.

This helps in conversion.

 

4.Content Marketing has the power to build the brand.

 

Solve the problem of the audience. Keep yourself in their shoes, to get the real feel.

Create content which is of value to them and provide solutions to their problem.

Keep doing this consistently. Over the period relationship is developed and trust is gained. 

This helps in growing your brand and this happens in the long run.

 

Content Marketing Strategy

 

Content Marketing plays an important role in providing a tremendous opportunity for businesses to increase their outputs.

 

By producing valuable and relevant content to users, you can improve your online presence, trust and build a community and grow your brand.

Content Marketing is just not about creating and distributing the content on different platforms.

 

Content Marketing when used effectively as a powerful tool can help in growing online visibility and thus generate a profitable customer base.

 

The following steps will help in creating and executing the Content Marketing approach in a proper way :

 

• Set your Goals.
• Frame your KPIs
• Understand your audience
• Select the best content channel
• Finalize your Content types
• Create content calendar and content
• Distribute and market your content

 

Content Mapping 

 

Content Mapping plays a pivotal role in the content marketing strategy.

Content mapping is the act of understanding your audience so well that you can then create content for each stage of their journey toward buying your product.

So, mapping the content with the buyers’ journey can create wonders. 

Here is when the Content Marketing Sales Funnel Strategy comes into the picture.

 

 

 

Content Marketing Funnel is a process or an approach that helps a business or brand attract their customers and guide them through their buying journey.

There are mainly 3 stages of this funnel.

 

 

TOFU (Top of the Funnel) – Awareness

 

is the top of the funnel and is the wider portion of the funnel. TOFU is all about creating visibility and awareness of the products, services & business.

The main objective of this stage of the funnel is lead generation. All the information is collected at this stage to use in nurturing the leads down the funnel.

 

MOFU (Middle of the Funnel) – Consideration

It is the middle stage of the funnel, you need to position yourself as the best services or product provider to the customer. At this stage, you need to provide maximum value so that they are willing to learn more about your company.

Interest and consideration are the main goals in this stage of funnel marketing.

The main intent in the middle of the funnel is to capture and nurture leads.

 

BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel) – Decision

This is the bottom and the lowermost part of the funnel, where you have already created a lot of trust and value with your customer.

It is at this stage that you have to present yourself in a compelling way. This is the stage where leads turn into real and loyal customers.

The main objective in this final stage of the funnel is to convert leads into customers.

 

Conclusion

 

Content Marketing is like an ocean. The more you dive in the more you get the experience. 

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. 

 

I hope you got a good idea of what it takes to be a good content marketer.

 

Share your content marketing insight in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you are asked the same kind of questions repeatedly, you develop a keen interest in that particular topic.

 

This happened to me when I have encountered these questions, what is Content writing and Copywriting. 

 

Not only this, mostly there is confusion between Copyright and Copywriting, mostly it is considered the same.

But there a day and night difference between these two.

 

Copyright is an Intellectual Property right and Copywriting is the art of writing a copy with the purpose of advertising and marketing.

 

Confronting the same issue, I thought of writing it down to give an explanation to solve the query for the larger audience base.

 

So, the big question is :

 

What is Content Writing and Copywriting?

 

What is the difference between Content Writing or Copywriting?

 

Given a choice, which will be your first choice as a Career?

 

 

Let us first understand the simple meaning of Content.

 

According to Wikipedia, Content is Information and experiences created by individuals, institutions, and technology to benefit audiences in contexts that they value.

 

Content is also “ something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts”.

 

What is Content Writing?

 

The act of creating content for the internet by planning, writing, and editing web content. It helps in providing solutions for particular problems for a certain set of audiences. Often Content is referred to be as a very broad term where you have to convey your message through words.

 

 

Content writing encompasses blog posts, social media posts, white papers, ebooks with a purpose to educate, inform and delight your audience with a particular topic.

 

 

Other examples of Content Writing is ebook, webpages, blogs, videos, podcasts.

 

 

The main goal of Content writing is to answer the distinct questions and solve the problems by providing information and value.

 

 

Content writing is focused on creating an engagement with your audience over a period of time. This builds a trust factor in you and ultimately creates interest in your product and services.

 

 

The content writer generally creates content which the reader wants to read, with an intention to rank in the search engine. This helps in getting traffic, organic searches, and leads.

 

 

The main goal of a content writer is to information. So content should be easy to read and understand. The reader should feel fully informed and convinced after reading a piece of content.

 

 

What is Copywriting?

 

Copywriting is the art of writing a copy with the purpose of advertising and marketing. The end product called a Copy or Sales copy is written content with the sole purpose to create awareness and ultimately persuade the group to take action. 

 

 

Copyblogger famously says: “Copywriting without content is a waste of good copy,” and “content without copywriting is a waste of good content.”

 

Comparison between Content Writing and Copywriting

 

	Content Writing	Copywriting
Purpose	Engagement driven Informative & Promote Brand Loyalty	Sales driven Sell & Convert
Objective	Branding	Sales
Length	Its is long	It is short and crisp
Goal	Encourage loyalty and engage properly	Sell a product or convert a customer with a clear call to action CTA
Examples	Online and Offline Ads Slogans  Taglines Web pages Email campaigns Television commercial Radio commercial Video scripts Catalogs Billboards Sales letters Direct mail letters Social media	Articles Blog posts Newspaper Magazine Press Releases  White papers Email newsletters E-books Books Print magazines Podcasts Television Film

 

 

A Content writer generally informs, while a Copywriters generally sells.

 

 

 

Difference between Content Writing and Copywriting

 

 

Content does serve a lot of purposes, it attracts an audience, engages them with the information, provides values and solutions. Copywriter on the other hand persuades and convinces them to sell.

 

 

A Content writer writes a long-form of copy while a copywriter writes a short form of copy.

 

 

A content writer drives organic traffic, while a copywriter converts traffic into lead.

 

 

A copywriter creates a sense of urgency while the content writer engages and builds trust.

 

 

Copywriter senses urgency and scarcity and wants to take immediate action with an emotional response. On the other hand, the Copywriter uses a compelling headline with proper CTA to take prompt actions.

 

 

Content writers are the foundation of future sales.

 

 

Even though the content writer does not focus on selling. But they are the foundation for future sales. Over the period of time, their valuable content will produce sales.

 

 

Content writers focus on long-term strategy.

 

 

Content focuses on providing information and value to their target audiences. This takes time to engage and build trusts, which over time pays off. Copywriters go with a short-term strategy to convert and sell instantly.

 

 

Which is a better choice between the two.

 

The answer to this depends on certain factors. It depends upon the individuals or the business. Both copywriting and content writing are different but have complementary skill sets.

 

They both have different styles and tricks and need different training. Their way of approach to provide solutions comes from different mindsets.

 

From the business perspective, if the company is focusing on blogs and needs SEO, then copywriters are not needed. Good engaging and valuable content will serve the purpose of the company.

 

They only need great content.

 

My Suggestion

 

The difference between content writing and copywriting is very significant. Content informs, with the sole purpose of selling later. Copy sells and drives action.

 

A good blend of content and copy skills will drive the success of your marketing efforts. 

 

 

Now coming back to your question on “Which is a better choice Content Writing or Copywriting”?

 

 

This is a subjective question. 

 

 

And the answer to this lies with you.

 

 

It depends on which company you are associated with and what exactly your skill sets are. 

 

 

A company focussing on building brand and awareness will pay more to a Content writer. Similarly, a copywriter in a popular advertising firm will earn more than a content writer.

 

 

You can be a content writer or a Copywriter or both.

 

 

This depends completely on you.

 

 

 

You can share the choice between the two by writing in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the most asked questions.

 

The answer lies in the question itself.

 

You cannot be good at anything without experiences?

 

You have to immerse yourself to be good in that.

 

This reminds me of the story of one of my friends way back in 2008, she was looking for a job. She left no stone unturned in searching for a job.

 

But, she could find it. Rather, could not get it.

 

She had a dream company from her college days, as most of us have.

 

While her job hunt was on, she started writing in her diary.

 

She started writing about her dream company, her job roles in her dream company, her contribution to the company.

 

This continued for many months in a row.

 

Seven months later, she got a job, but her passion for writing for her dream company developed more.

 

She enjoyed writing instead of getting a decent job.

 

Today, she is working in her dream Company.

 

Anyone can become a Content Writer.

 

Becoming a Content writer is not a very difficult task, but you have to have that passion and focus on whether you want to become that or not.

 

There are certain myths, which hold back many to dive into this beautiful ocean.

 

There is a phrase that says “ Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,”

 

This holds very true for writing.

 

This article will help you understand content writing and how an individual with no experience can become a CONTENT WRITER.

 

 

What is Content?

 

Content is any form of information that will educate, infuse, motivate, inspire, convince a set of your targeted audience.

 

 

What is Content Writing? 

 

The act of creating content for the internet by planning, writing, and editing web content. It provides solutions for particular problems for a certain set of audiences.

 

Content refers to be as a very broad term where you have to convey your message through words.

 

For Example, a digital marketer sets up a brand new website. He wishes to showcase his product and services, with their unique features and USP.

 

It will be his content that will help him in positioning his brand and create an image.

 

Content can be in various forms like blog posts, emails, scripts of the videos, podcasts, eBooks, infographics, and many more.

 

Some of the examples of content writing:

 

1. Website pages
2. Blog post
3. Email Campaign
4. Social Media Pages

 

Content writing is very important in today’s era. This provides value and information to the audience.

 

 

This, in a way, increases the traffic to the website also.

 

 

Content is everywhere, so the need for Content writers is also increasing every second.

 

 

With the increasing demand for content writing, the scope and opportunity of the content writers is increasing at a very pace.

 

Benefits of Becoming a Content Writer

 

 

Content writing is becoming a lucrative career choice for many. Thus, the demand for Content writers is constantly increasing.

 

 

Highlighted below are some of the benefits of becoming a content writer:

 

1. Become a Blog writer or Article Writer
2. Become a Full-time or Part-time Content writer in a company
3. Become an SEO Content writer
4. Become a freelancer.
5. Become an Author and many more.

 

After reaching this part of the article, I am sure you want to know how to become a content writer.

 

The answer is very straightforward and simple.

 

 

Anyone can write if one has a passion for it.

 

 

Bruce Lee — ‘If you want to learn to swim jump into the water.

 

 

The same holds for Content Writer.

 

 

The first step to becoming a content writer is the ability to write.

 

 

If you are given a copy or blank page with a topic to write. You may find it difficult to write on the first go.

 

 

You need to jot down your thoughts, knowledge, and ideas. This will come once you start writing and keep doing this religiously.

 

 

Over the period of time, it will come naturally.

 

 

So, it is advised to write a lot to become a good writer. 

 

 

The following pointers will throw some light in becoming a good content writer:

 

A. Choose your niche and start writing.

Select any type of content writing as per your interest:

 

The reach and scope for content writing are huge.

 

 

There are various formats and styles of content writing.

 

 

You can be a blog writer, email writer, landing page writer, social page writer, copywriter, website writer, and so on.

 

 

Millions of articles and posts get published on the internet every day across the globe. Your content should be worth enough of the rest.

 

 

Come up with good content headlines and ideas. A good headline is of utmost importance.

 

 

Some of the useful tools are :

 

• SEO Tools: Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner
• Headline/Idea Generator: Hubspot, Sumo, Portent

 

B. Research and then Write

 

The Internet is an ocean full of information in the form of content.

 

 

You have to research a lot before writing on any idea or topic.

 

 

Do proper keyword research and find the scope and reach of these keywords.

 

 

Set your audience base and figure out your customer avatar rather than targeting everyone.

 

 

Do not write for a very broad topic, it is better to focus on the sub-topis or micro sub-topics.

 

 

C. Draw an outline of your Content

 

The outline of the content will work as a framework for you to share the information in a systematic order.

 

 

First, choose a good headline for the content. This acts as a magnet and will attract the reader.

 

 

Second, come up with an intriguing introduction. This can have any story, anecdotes, or the statistic related to the topic.

 

 

Third, express the what factor of the article. The “What factor”,  can be the problem your audience is facing and how you are looking for solutions.

 

 

Fourth, share the reason for your writing this article. Provide solutions and information through your writing.

 

 

Fifth, inform the reader on how this article and help and solve their problem or query.

 

 

Last, but not least, conclude the entire outline.

 

 

D. Publish your content to the Public

 

The majority of writers never publish their content.

 

 

Always make a point to publish your content to the public. This will help you in improving and gaining confidence.

 

 

Distributing and publishing your content to a different platform and across different social media channels is very important.

 

This will help you in gaining online visibility.

 

 

• Self-publishing platform: Medium, Tumblr.
• Social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin.

 

Different Course for Content Writing

 

There are various courses available for becoming a content writer. Free as well as paid courses are available, which can give a kick start to your content writing journey.

 

Below mentioned are some of the best training providing platforms for content writing

 

1. Hubspot
2. Skillshare
3. Udemy
4. Coursera
5. MOOC

 

To be a successful and good content writer, you have to give time to reading, writing, watching videos, and immerse yourself in that ecosystem.

 

Once you start this journey, you will enjoy the rhythm.

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

This is a well-known fact, that everything takes its own time to be the best version.

 

This is also the same with Content writing, this will take time.

 

Make this journey more fulfilling by practicing the below-mentioned mantras:

 

• Read Read and Read, make this your habit.
• Learn and keep learning, to be the best.
• Write and write even more to put your thoughts into words.

 

 

How did you like the article?

 

 

Also, share your content writing journey in the comment sections below.