It feels like we have had the term 'content marketing' as apart of our wider marketing lexicon forever.

Ever since the rise of social media, and marketers using them, we've had to develop ways of 'building communities', 'joining the conversation', and 'generating engagement' - (loosely translated to be likeable, have something interesting to say, and hope people do something!)

But without content, none of these occur.

Without a specific content strategy (and one that feeds into a wider marketing strategy), you're going to be left wanting, when it comes time to evaluate your work and see if it made an impact. It is good to see that 86% of B2C marketers believe content marketing is a key strategy for them (source: Content Marketing Institute).

Now, most strategies will be developed after doing the necessities such as setting goals and establishing KPIs, zeroing in on the intended target audience and what channels will need to be used to reach them.

But then what?

Content.

According to Hubspot, the number one challenge faced by marketers is generating traffic and leads on a consistent basis (64% of people responded with this as the #1 challenge). And with such a fragmented marketing mix of content options and platforms, the sheer costs to create the amount of content needed day-to-day to reach their intended customers, continues to increase, along with the pressure to produce that content at a high level.

Whether it's short-form, long-form, photos, video, written blogs, or audio podcasts, and with that content needing to be either inspirational, educational, or entertaining - it can really be a tough day at the office for marketing nowadays!

One area often forgotten about within a brands own content mix is to use third-parties to create that content.

Now some may refer to them as 'influencers' but I believe with the proper selection process in place, (i.e. not simply choosing based on follower numbers), and instead one that prioritises authority, expertise, creativity, and above all, professionalism - brand marketers are able to find cost-effective ways of filling their content calendars with meaningful messages.

While a content creator's cost to create content can be much much lower than other types of agencies, don't forget that they could have been working at their craft and developing their expertise for a number of years so invest appropriately!

Rather than using another stock image, why not consider the benefits of a content creator who is able to create bespoke content that is 'supercharged' with their respective context for the message, as well as including their advocacy for the brand built-in (of course picking someone who has an affinity for the brand is needed here).

It is a cost-effective way to produce content, as well as having the option of reaching new audiences.

There are lots of ways of telling brand stories through content, maybe it's time you looked at how content creators could add that next level of content to your overall marketing strategy. 

Need help incorporating content creators into your content marketing strategy? Get in touch with the team at WeAreTENZING to supercharge your marketing in 2020!