You may or may not have heard the phase, “Content is King” but it’s something that every single wanna-be marketing expert is talking about these days.
Everyone is talking about how content is so important (which is true) but no one is really talk about WHY content is king and WHY content is critically important.
What the heck does “content is king” even actually mean anyways?
I mean it sounds kind of silly, doesn’t it?
It almost seems like they just heard some other marketing expert, or some “guru” say it and then they themselves decided to regurgitate the information like a mother bird feeding a chick.
So… Why is content king?
Today I’ll explain to you exactly why content is king and by doing so, you will understand what “Content is King” actually means. (It’s not just a catchy saying, it’s fact.)
You will also see why content is essential to the success of your business right now, and why it will play an even bigger role in the future.
REMINDER: The information I’m sharing you is simply my perspective and I openly invite you to share your perspective in the comments section below.
So, why is content so important? Why is Content King?
It’s the Information Age
Some of the largest companies in the world today didn’t exist just 15 years ago. Companies like YouTube, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Twitter to name a few. And the one thing that all of these huge companies have in common is their product: information. Welcome to the Information Age. (Also referred to as the Digital age)
15 years ago, if you wanted to do research on any given topic, you would find yourself traveling to a library. Not today. Today we have an entire world of information at our fingertips. Devices like laptop computers, tablets, and smart phones have allowed us the ability to access any bit of information at any point in time within a matter of seconds.
So, if anyone ever asks, “Why is content king?” you can answer, “Content is king because it’s the information age!”.
It’s the way people find you
Because information is so easily accessible via technology, people frequently use platforms like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to find new products, services, and solutions to their problems. This is one of the main reasons why businesses market online and why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become such a huge buzz-word in business.
If your product or service solves a problem in the marketplace, there is a very good chance that people are actively looking for you online. Do you have content out there on the web so the people who are looking for you can easily find you?
If you are not familiar with SEO, here’s some quick insight.
Let’s look at it from Google’s perspective. People come to Google typically looking for solutions & information. Google’s main goal is to provide the people using their service with recent, relevant, and credible information. If your blog can be the source of recent, relevant, and credible information in your industry, our round a problem that your product or service solves, then the search engines will send their people to your information. Very simple!
So, the next time you are asked, “Why is content king?”, your answer should be, “Content is king because it’s the way people find you online!”.
It’s the new-age marketing
Before the internet, it was said that knowledge was power, and it was true. If you were a lawyer, what you knew was valuable and if I needed a contract to be drafted, I would have to come to you for help. Today is a very different reality. If I need to draft a contract, I simply go to Google to search for a free contact template and I simply can create my own.
“In today’s marketplace, knowledge itself is not power, but the sharing of knowledge is.”
– Michael R. Hunter
Education and training are the new form of marketing. One of the main ways people learn is by consuming content; books, speeches, training, etc.
In the Information Age, the person who shares the most information is seen as the expert or the authority in their field. The lawyer that helps people draft their own contracts & even educates people on how to do it themselves, ends up building rapport with those individuals. When a more complex issue arises in the future, who do you think the people will turn to. Exactly, the Lawyer who helped them draft their own contract because they have the perception that he is knowledgeable, giving, and affordable.
So, the next time you hear someone say, “Why is content king? Content isn’t important.” Please nicely inform them by saying, “Content is king because education & training is the new-age marketing”.
It’s the way you set yourself apart
Not only is high-value content creation an important method of attracting new customers and having the marketplace perceive you as a knowledgeable and credible source of information, but it also differentiates yourself from the competition. When you are the person or the company that creates the the most high-value content, you own your industry. A few great examples of this concept are Gary Vaynerchuk, Dr. Daniel Amen, TechCrunch, and Mashable.
Gary Vaynerchuk grew his family wine store from $4 Million in sales to over $60 Million in sales in 5 years with a video blog. He shared his knowledge and passion for wine with the world, positioned himself as the expert he was, and owned his industry.
Dr. Daniel Amen has written several best-selling books, over a dozen books total, in the health and wellness space all relating to brain health specifically. Not only that, but he has had a TV show of PBS for several years, is a sought-after speaker, and is the founder and owner of the top brain-scan clinics in the world. His ability to produce content has positioned him as the world’s leading brain health expert.
TechCrunch and Mashable are both tech blogs that pump out an insane amount of content relevant to technology and tech-driven businesses. Both companies have revenues in the millions and are highly-respected online publications in the business and tech communities.
So, there’s a pretty good chance the people asking you, “Why is content king?” are too afraid to put themselves out there. Content is King because it’s the way you separate yourself from your competition.
It’s Share-able!
People don’t share advertisements. People share things of value to them. The great thing about content is, when it’s done right, people share it with their colleagues and friends.
Value can mean many different things to many different people. Valuable content can be helpful, entertaining, controversial, or personal. Different segments of the population and different industries value different things. It’s good to keep in mind that what you value, may not be what your target market values.
When you create content that people find value in and they share it. All a reader has to do is copy and paste your URL and posit it on social media or send it out via email. Bada-boom bada-bing, you’ve just activated your free content-marketing army.
It might sound obvious to you and me but the people asking, “Why is content king?” must not understand that content is king because people can share it! Content is king because it makes it easy for other people to spread your message!
The Missing Link
By know I hope that I’ve convinced you that creating high-quality content is really important to the success of your business as we progress even further into the digital revolution. The one thing that most small business owners and entrepreneurs forget when it comes to creating content is how their content fits into their overall marketing strategy.
Creating high-value content is good, but creating high-value content strategically is even better!
For more information on how to create a rock-solid marketing strategy for your business check out this blog post: Introduction to the Strategic Marketing Compass
I hope that the information that I’ve shared with you today has helped you understand why content is so important to your business and your brand.
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