It goes by many names: branded content, custom publishing, content marketing. Cheap and ubiquitous web technology has become fuel for a rising trend of businesses becoming publishers and brands becoming media companies. Through content creation, brands can engage directly with an audience rather than relying on intermediary media channels. If you publish and spread great content, customers will come to you.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, an organization that provides research and education on content marketing, "93% of marketing professionals create, or plan to create content marketing as part of their overall programs in the next year." Money is being slurped away from print advertising (44% of marketers have decreased their prin t ad budgets over the last three years) and put in large part toward social media and custom publishing (70% have increased their social media.publishing budgets over the last 3 years), according to CMI.
Blogging, tweeting and posting not only generate brand awareness and buzz, they also build links, which are like gold to Google's ranking algorithm. In short, content marketing is the new SEO.
How should your business or brand think about its content marketing strategy? Take some tips from the following companies.
1. Mint.com
When personal finance startup Mint launched in 2006, it was quickly thrown into competition with web startups like Wesabe, and established juggernauts like Quicken. Three years later, the company is a market leader in online personal finance and sold to Intuit for $170 million.
Mint owes much of its user adoption and brand success to its aggressively intelligent content strategy. Unlike the half-hearted,...
