Is Content Marketing Becoming the Dominant Digital Marketing Tool?

Is content marketing becoming the key digital marketing tool, eclipsing SEO? A post from B2B content marketing firm Reputation Capital argues that content marketing is increasingly dominant. They point to various changes by Google in 2012 including the Panda updates and its decision to cut ties with marketing services firms that don’t use Google-sanctioned data in Google-related products. They argue that these changes make it harder to track SEO results, making SEO less attractive to marketers. Read their post and decide for yourself.


It is axiomatic that customers, both consumer and business, want informative content when and where they choose. But in a world with a growing number of channels and platforms for reaching the customer, content marketing is not easy. Creating and disseminating it can chew up a lot of resources. A strategy that is both efficient and effective is needed. Kapost has an infographic that identifies a set of steps. One glance tells the marketer that none are easy but that all are, in fact, standard parts of the marketing repertoire. The accompanying post is full of good tips and contains an example of an editorial calendar to keep the team in sync.

According to Marketing Profs, both B2B and B2C marketers agree on the top 3 content marketing challenges, although not in the same order. They see issues in producing enough content, producing content that engages users, and adequate budget. A study quoted in Marketing Charts points out that whether the content is print or electronic, a large portion of the budget is for personnel costs. That’s undoubtedly true even if the marketer is good at repurposing content for various channels—it all takes time. Marketing Profs has good slideshows on their 2013 content marketing benchmarks and trends reports for both B2B and B2C.

One of the more interesting recent takes on the subject can be seen in this video from David Edelman of McKinsey who links great content to great customer experience. One of his most provocative recommendations is to ensure that good content (dare I say “talking points”?) is disseminated internally. That way your employees who are active in social media will have the information they need to push that content out to their followers.
I recently wrote about the social media team for the Mars Curiosity Rover which is a prime example of disparate groups working together to create a brand personality that can weave a great story over time. Discipline as well as strategy are necessary to execute a complex content marketing plan.

Some of the studies of marketing tools seem to position content marketing and search marketing as “either or.” That’s not the case. Getting found in search is essential. Good content—written, images, video and more—has to be search friendly. It’s not one or the other; it’s making sure your content is visible in the channels where customers look for it. That’s not all there is to audience development, but it’s one critical element.

Content marketing may not be easy. However, it’s doable and it’s measurable. That should seal the deal!