Web Content Marketing Buzz

Updated December 8, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Plenty of buzz about web content marketing these days, but what is it?

Sales-driven content.

This is web content created for the sole implicit purpose of marketing a product or company, and attracting potential sales. These are articles, videos and info-graphics that appeal to a target audience as authoritative and even confidence-building.

Think the opposite of content for its own sake. Recall that breakaway moment when Napoleon Dynamite performs his awkward yet fabulous dance to a full and skeptical auditorium? He does so ONLY because he wants that crowd to Vote 4 Pedro. His dance was intended to inspire action.

And it succeeded. More than any other element, 82% of B2B marketers claim that it is engaging and compelling storytelling that makes an effective web content marketing strategy according to a Marketing Profs article on web content marketing trends and benchmarks. The strange wonder of Napoleon’s performance drew people in, and made them believe in Pedro’s campaign.

Free Stuff.

Web Content Marketing’s reason for living is sales. But it’s uniqueness lies in the ability to attract interest and establish profitable relationships without ever pressuring for a sale. So, how about giving it away?

For example, SEOmoz offers a vast library of free webinars and highly relevant articles that appeal to search engine optimization professionals. By providing its target market with access to desirable and accurate information, SEOmoz is able to demonstrate authority and engender trust. It is also able to grow an active community of followers whose robust exchange creates yet another free attraction.

All of this builds attention and ultimately leads to sales.

It’s Social!

The more people are sharing your web content, the more this strategy works. It is not dependent on search engines, but rather on community.

Back to the SEOmoz example, many leading professionals are spreading this content around via their own networks. This bears considerable weight, again in the target market.

Make them need you.

The result: a sale without a direct pitch. If all goes well, they’ll be begging to sign up.