Subscribe to this blog via RSS
Subscribe to this blog via Email
Image from FloppingFish.com
There was an article yesterday on Mashable called Twitter Ads Are Evil by Pete Cashmore. It really rang true to us at ideaLaunch because it spoke to the reason why we offer the kind of services we do.
In the article, Cashmore writes that advertisers have become frustrated with social media and a web 2.0 world. Many advertisers are used to mediums where they do what they do best – say what they want to a captive audience that they have purchased. The trouble, though, is that social media doesn’t work that way. Many sites, like Twitter, don’t have spots for ads. In response, advertisers have created accounts but haven’t changed their messaging style. However, people, generally, don’t like ads. If they have their way, they’ll avoid them entirely – and in social media, you can. You simply don’t follow or block their presence and it’s done. Advertisers are annoyed.
Content marketing – ideaLaunch’s area of expertise – is not advertising. It’s about bringing value to people online (specifically the customers of our clients) through articles, blog posts, videos, widgets and social media interactions. As Cashmore poignantly suggests:
“Brands need to befriend us, build relationships, and offer so much value that we broadcast our positive experiences out to our own networks of trust. They might entertain us. They might help us. They might become enablers of our own personal goals. And when they do, we’ll return the favor. “Spend your attention on this”, we’ll say, “it’s important!””
Is content marketing entirely a selfless cause? Honestly, no. By bringing tips, conversation, information and tools to people freely, it is in your interest, too. Through these actions, you demonstrate your ability. You instil trust in readers. You utilize SEO to increase your traffic. You extend your reach and influence. Through all this, you sell yourself.
It’s a soft sell, but in today’s shifting style of communication methods, it’s the best kind of sell.
Tags: ads, content marketing, social media
[...] mentioned it a few times: the cornerstone of content marketing is bringing value to readers and potential clients. Writing insightful and entertaining blog posts or articles is an easy way to do this, as is [...]