Basics of digital marketing - Content Marketing

In the context of digital marketing, content is a brand's way of  making its strategy tangible. Users receive information  published by the brand through different communication  platforms, seeking to align with them and in multiple formats:  texts, images, videos, animations, games, contests,  applications, etc.

In this sense, an important conclusion emerges and that is that  in the digital world, brands that really generate valuable  content for their users stand out.

One of the ways to leverage content to make it stand out and  achieve brand positioning is content sponsorship, as we can see  in the example below:

Heineken content as a digital strategy

Heineken has been the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League,  one of the sports tournaments with the most visibility in the  world, since 2005. Leveraged on this sponsorship, Heineken has  been developing a strategy focused on digital media to position  its brand. Thus, the brand has used content as a digital strategy  to appropriate a sporting event with a large audience,  developing entertaining content for the audience.

Local Content with Global Distribution is part of Heineken's  content strategy.

Positioning a brand, including in the world of digital marketing,  is a process that can take a long time. The Heineken example  shows us the importance of being consistent and persistent in developing a strategy that engages users with entertaining  content, thus positioning the brand by generating an  association with the event it sponsors.

Today platforms have become secondary. It is becoming easier  to develop a website for a brand in a matter of minutes, but the  challenge is really to generate content of interest to users.  When users perceive a brand's content as relevant or  entertaining information for them that means that the content  strategy is well planned and executed.

"A digital strategy without quality content is like a store without  good products."

In content marketing, content becomes the materialization of a  brand's digital strategy and it is only through quality content  that a brand stands out and is positioned in the minds of users.

Content Formats

The most important thing about content is that it contributes to  positioning the brand within a different field than its  competitors, that the content is of very good quality and that it  fulfills the purpose of entertaining or informing. Now, let’s take  a look at the content formats that should be used to get closer  to meeting this challenge.

Visual Content

In the digital world, people are increasingly interested in  sharing and consuming graphic content.

It is clear that consumers today are purely visual. This creates a  need for the brand to communicate graphically. Many users are  interested in sharing and consuming graphic content. This aided  by the fact that mobile device manufacturers strive to offer higher quality and functionality when it comes to their  integrated cameras.

The 8 most popular content formats

Here are some of the content formats that are being used the  most today and that are transforming the way information is  traditionally displayed.

Editorial texts with images

Among the content formats, this is one of the most commonly  used for websites, blogs and emails. They are specialized texts  accompanied by images and are essential for positioning in  search engines (SEO).

Videos

It refers to the production of video in traditional format or  Motion graphics. This type of content can be distributed  through social networks or websites. Now it is possible to make  videos from the simplicity of a mobile phone, film-like  blockbuster, digital animation or purchase from video banks.

Photography

This format is commonly used on websites or social networks. It  can be given in a professional or amateur format, depending on  the needs of the brand in terms of quality, quantity and  frequency. It is possible to take the photograph or simply go to  image banks to buy and use them.

Gifs

This short and low-weight video or animation format is  becoming increasingly important, which is why it must be  included in the offer of a brand, especially for publications.

Video games

Video games are also considered a content format. These can  be done through adaptations of traditional games or custom  game development. Video game development can be given for  both web and mobile formats.

Infographics

It corresponds to the development of illustrations based on  statistical data that seek to be summarized in visual formats.  They are commonly used for posts on social media or on the  web.

White papers

It corresponds to the more detailed production of textual  formats with images, mainly used for the acquisition of leads,  which seek to deliver valuable information to the user or  potential client.

Webinars

This format has been gaining great importance due to the  possibility of sharing content regardless of where people are,  with the convenience of not leaving your office. This format has  shown high growth in the B2B sector.

Content Distribution

When we talk about content distribution, we mean how to  make it reach the users who are the brand's target. The content must be present in all those moments where the  consumer demands it and from the device they use at that  precise moment.

Distribution platforms

These are the most common platforms where content is  distributed

  • Websites / Mobile Portals / Blogs
  • Podcasting
  • Emails
  • Mobile apps


Multi-platform

It is important to highlight the need to adapt the content to  different platforms to reach it more effectively, which means  that the same content must be adapted so that the consumer  can access it from the PC, the Mobile, social networks, iTV  among others.

For example, if your content is on a website, it is important that  it is adapted for mobile devices, either by an exclusive version  for mobile or by responsive design (techniques that we will  explain later in the course). The importance of this adaptation  becomes more evident when we see that almost 50% of  Internet traffic in India is generated from mobile phones.