The origins of content marketing
Content marketing is all about creating, publishing and distributing content for a targeted market. This can be on or offline. Content should be relevant and timely to attract and retain the defined audience and ultimately to drive profitable customer action. The purpose of the content generally falls into 1 of 3 categories:
- Education
- Information
- Entertainment
Content marketing is not a quick fix but a long-term strategy to build relationships and loyalty. When done correctly it allows high quality content to be delivered to your audience on a consistent basis. Bottom line is: it shows you care about them.
Although the term content marketing was only recently coined, very much in tandem with the growth of digital, it is an approach that has been used for many years.
Here’s a quick history!
Where the story fits in
There are many different types of content that can be used to drive results for a content marketing strategy but one of the keys to success is the story that you tell. It is an approach that is all about stories. Humans have long told stories and our attention will always go to those who tell great stories. Ireland is traditionally a nation of storytellers. Our love of stories can be traced back 100’s of years to the seanchaí.
A seanachaí, while a servant to the chiefs of the tribe, held a position of power and respect as they kept track of important information for their clan. It was a position of power and respect. They held the key to the culture’s past and its most important memories and traditions. The seanchaí could recite ancient lore and tales of wisdom whenever it was needed. This was done to educate those about the past and to entertain and thrill the audiences.
Even though the seanachaí are long gone, storytelling is still an integral part of Irish culture and has seen a huge revival over the past couple of decades. It is thought this has coincided with industrial and digital growth where people yearned to understand our lives and history through stories instead of economics or facts. Whatever the reason we are a nation of poets, writers and storytellers.
Why your business needs a story
Every business needs a story and every business has a story. It is your value and mission. And telling your unique story will create alignment between your business, your prospects, and your customers. At a basic level, your story is about why you’re doing what you’re doing. You just need to tell it in a way that appeals to your audience.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
Simon Sinek
You don’t need to write a book to tell the story. It’s not about creating long, intricate articles. The art of storytelling is the way you tell it. That is where content marketing makes it so powerful. There a vast amount of different ways of telling the story, from articles to blogs to videos and infographics.
There is no right or wrong way to share your story. You just need to ensure it remains true, consistent and engaging.
Now tell me your story!
Alternatively, if you would like help in creating and sharing your story please contact us, we’d love to help!