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While it may seem that content marketing and content strategy are synonyms for the same activity, it isn’t. If the is news to you, then you definitely need to continue reading this blog to find out how the differ. While they certainly are, cogs of the same wheel and are inter-related to each other, their functions are different. Think of it this way, when constructing a building, there are architects and there are workers. The architect is responsible for the design, features, stability, and the reliability of the construction. He or she provides a pathway and offers direction to the workers. The workers are then expected to execute the plans and complete the structure. While architects and workers are essential for a finished construction, they cannot operate individually; they are inter-related. Similarly, one cannot expect architects and workers to perform the entire task individually, which is how content marketing and content strategy works.
Content Strategy
Just like how an architect designs the blueprints and creates an ideal design that is free from flaws, and is able to sustain for a long-term, a content strategist is expected to create an effective content strategy that will derive valuable results. The fundamental concept of content strategy is to improve organic leads that ultimately improves revenue generation opportunities for the business. A sound content strategy would identify market trends, customer expectations, and create a content plan that will improve brand awareness, visibility, and reliability. It helps in promoting a positive image about the brand and gain users trust. Content strategists would need to understand the brand, its key features, and its advantages to determine best plausible way to promote them. Once an outline is ready, the task is then handed over to the next phase i.e. content marketers. For content strategy, it is important to identify the pain points of the target audience. If you are planning to hire a local SEO company for content strategy, make sure they understand your product and services to come up with a sound strategy.
Content Marketing
Reflecting back on the architect and worker example, content marketers are workers who execute the strategy to achieve the desired results. This includes creating unique and effective content, inclusive of all the elements and factors identified by a content strategist. For example, a content strategist would identify that a certain product needs to be promoted to a restricted age group and gender. The content marketing team would then need to create content that aligns with the strategy and is able to attract masses from the same age group and gender. They are also responsible for placing content on various platforms to improve visibility and engagement. Content marketers need to research the topic to write about and need to present engaging content that effectively addresses the pain points suggested by the strategist. If you are planning to hire an agency for local SEO services, you should suggest the topic and the tone of the content.
Why do you need content strategy and content marketing?
As suggested earlier, content strategy and content marketing go hand-in-hand to create an effective content marketing strategy. Focusing on just content marketing may result in creating unnecessary content that would lower the engagement rate and your audience will eventually get bored of the post, making it ineffective in generation leads for a longer term. If you hire a content marketing company, you should ask them what is their content strategy and how will they turn it into engaging and effective content. It is vital that your content marketing company or local SEO services provider understand your products and services explicitly. If you notice that there are little or no efforts to have a deeper understanding about your content marketing company, then probably it is best to look for another local SEO company.
Effective content strategy and marketing will lead to higher organic leads and will generate thousands of leads. Organic leads do not cost you money, which is why you should always aim for higher organic leads than paid leads. A company that has an effective content marketing strategy in place would be able to generate many organic leads from a single post, from there; you just need to focus on converting them to clients. Paying for leads can be a painful process for startups and small-scale businesses. It may lower your profitability and since you pay per click (PPC), you are often bound to lead a lot of advertisement money on accidental clicks or on prospects who are looking for information. With organic leads, you do not need to worry about accidental clicks or exploratory clicks, as it does not cost you any money. Therefore, using the right combination of content strategy and content marketing is imperative for a successful and sustainable business.
