Shutup! You’re not a content marketer!

Content is everywhere!

I mean, look around you, it’s scribbled on almost every surface.

Now, for which purposes you create content, and audiences you distribute content to is what takes you from a content publisher to a content marketer.

Being a content writer is quite easy if you are a good writer. Being a content marketer, that’s a different ball game.

For clarity, content goes beyond words on a screen. Content is the whole spectrum of information that is consumed on the internet. Think text, audio, gifs, videos, infographics, podcasts, et al.

Now, content as a whole merely distracts you from your activity, but content that has been crafted to achieve marketing goals will attract its intended audience to explore a destination — the brand.

A good content marketer goes beyond publishing content, think your regular Nigerian news site. A good content marketer publishes content that drives business value for the brand.

Hotels.ng uses its travel blog to answer questions about travel

Shopify uses its blog to answer questions about ecommerce

Intercom uses content to answer Saas peculiar problems

From my perspective, the problem with content and why most people don’t get content are:

1. They can’t figure out distribution
2. Content isn’t produced to answer questions
3. They think producing content shouldn’t cost a dime
4. They create content for their boss rather than people

Those are some of the many issues with content and why so many don’t get it. They are just creating content rather than creating content that drives business goals for their brand.

Look at it this way, to reach, engage and convert new customers to your business, you have to create content that answers questions — content people actually want.

This is why it has always been easier for businesses that are content first to monetize content. They might not have known it, but they figured out content marketing from the on-set. Think Hubspot and Wordable.

They all went content first before anything else, and they understood how to drive business goals with content.

So let’s be clear, if you have been pushing the publish button with no thorough considerations for headline copy, email marketing, SEO, social media engagement, and analytics you are not a content marketer. Lose the title!

For reflection, read this post — Become a content marketer: 7 serious skills to conquer

If there’s any content marketer reading this, please share your workflow with us and the tools you use everyday to achieve your content marketing goals.

P.S: If you want to help more people realize if they are content marketers or not, hit the like button.