Inventing new acronyms in a world with too many acronyms is NTC - not too cool - but I have to do this, really. Here's the concept - everybody's talking about how quality content is an essential marketing strategy, because people are sick of traditional marketing stuff, so you have to deliver material - text, audio, or video - that contains the kind (and quality) of information that people will actively seek out.
But there's a catch here. If we really want to play in this league, we have to follow the rules of good content. It's not hard to learn these rules - simply peruse the editorial guidelines of any highly respected publication. What will be quickly apparent is that the rules of content are quite different from the rules of marketing.
So why not cut to the chase and admit that content is not marketing?
Okay, you ask, if content isn't marketing, what is it? Since there's no term available, I'll have to make up an acronym (somebody had to do it). It's called Content as a Service, or CaaS. The idea is that if we create content that is truly valued, we are providing a service. If there's no charge, it is a free service.
So why would anybody want to provide a free service? Ask Google.
Jacob, that's a great concept in CaaS - I can imagine there are agencies right now trying to figure out how to offer CaaS as the next big thing after social media marketing. It's a significant change in skillset, and I'm sure many would question how far you can outsource thought leadership activities.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of rules and guidelines, Ann Handley's Content Rules book may be a good start for marketers aspiring to produce compelling content: http://www.contentrulesbook.com/.
Thanks for your comment, Tom. I agree that Content Rules is a great introduction to what compelling content is all about.
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