The Evolution of Content Marketing: From “Guessing” to Data
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 4:21 am
Strategy
Although many may not believe it, Content Marketing is nothing new. On the contrary, its beginnings date back to 1895, when The Furrow magazine, from the John Deere company, specialized in agricultural machinery, decided to offer its readers - mostly farmers - useful and practical recommendations on how to increase productivity on their farms, something they could do if they bought their machines.
Since then, several companies have decided to use this strategy to position their brands in the minds of their customers - current and potential - through valuable content, instead of offering promotional or self-referential messages in newspapers and magazines as was the custom at the time.
However, it was from the Internet era that brands and companies globally began to develop Content Marketing strategies. Since then, they have been carried out continuously, thanks to the enormous advantages that this digital tool provided them to better connect with their audiences.
However, just as the Internet opened the doors to Content Marketing for many companies around the world, it also generated strong competition. This was due to the oversupply of information that currently exists on the web and is just a click away.
Aware of this situation, at Castleberry Media we have developed a novel tool that allows brands to design and execute successful Content Marketing strategies, based on data and Artificial Intelligence. The goal is to enable them to thoroughly understand the real interests and information needs of their target audience. Contrary to what many people vp communication officer email list think, Content Marketing, far from being a literary exercise, is rather a scientific activity. It requires real data and facts to be able to provide the content that a particular audience most needs and demands.
How does this tool work and what was the path we took to get here?
b2b content marketing strategies
Content Marketing in the Internet Age: The Beginning of a Great Adventure
In 1996, when Bill Gates first coined the phrase “content is king” to explain the future that awaited marketing and business in the Internet era, few of us really understood the meaning of that statement. Contrary to what many thought, the key was not going to be producing exclusive brand content. On the contrary, it is about creating value for audiences with relevant content that responds to their interests and that strengthens the company’s communication and positioning in front of its public.
That's why we founded Castleberry Media , because we were convinced that Content Marketing was the future that awaited companies in the 21st century. And the truth is that we weren't wrong.
According to figures from HubSpot, 70% of company decision-makers invest in Content Marketing strategies . They know that most of them prefer to learn about a product through valuable content, rather than through advertising. Likewise, a study carried out by the Content Marketing Institute revealed that at least 72% of the companies surveyed consider that content strategies improve the level of engagement with their customers; on the other hand, 72% affirm that they are ideal for generating leads.
At a global level, some of the companies that have best developed B2B Content Marketing strategies -in addition to Microsoft Corporation- are: American Express, SalesForce, SAP, CBInsights, and Hubspot. In Colombia, we have had the opportunity to support companies recognized in their industries for successfully implementing Content Marketing strategies , including Carvajal Espacios – Mepal and Bancolombia, which through their digital platforms such as ' Capital Inteligente', 'Innovación y Transformación Digital' and 'Actualízate', share information and specialized knowledge with their audiences about strategy and economics, strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and growth plans for SMEs, respectively.
Although many may not believe it, Content Marketing is nothing new. On the contrary, its beginnings date back to 1895, when The Furrow magazine, from the John Deere company, specialized in agricultural machinery, decided to offer its readers - mostly farmers - useful and practical recommendations on how to increase productivity on their farms, something they could do if they bought their machines.
Since then, several companies have decided to use this strategy to position their brands in the minds of their customers - current and potential - through valuable content, instead of offering promotional or self-referential messages in newspapers and magazines as was the custom at the time.
However, it was from the Internet era that brands and companies globally began to develop Content Marketing strategies. Since then, they have been carried out continuously, thanks to the enormous advantages that this digital tool provided them to better connect with their audiences.
However, just as the Internet opened the doors to Content Marketing for many companies around the world, it also generated strong competition. This was due to the oversupply of information that currently exists on the web and is just a click away.
Aware of this situation, at Castleberry Media we have developed a novel tool that allows brands to design and execute successful Content Marketing strategies, based on data and Artificial Intelligence. The goal is to enable them to thoroughly understand the real interests and information needs of their target audience. Contrary to what many people vp communication officer email list think, Content Marketing, far from being a literary exercise, is rather a scientific activity. It requires real data and facts to be able to provide the content that a particular audience most needs and demands.
How does this tool work and what was the path we took to get here?
b2b content marketing strategies
Content Marketing in the Internet Age: The Beginning of a Great Adventure
In 1996, when Bill Gates first coined the phrase “content is king” to explain the future that awaited marketing and business in the Internet era, few of us really understood the meaning of that statement. Contrary to what many thought, the key was not going to be producing exclusive brand content. On the contrary, it is about creating value for audiences with relevant content that responds to their interests and that strengthens the company’s communication and positioning in front of its public.
That's why we founded Castleberry Media , because we were convinced that Content Marketing was the future that awaited companies in the 21st century. And the truth is that we weren't wrong.
According to figures from HubSpot, 70% of company decision-makers invest in Content Marketing strategies . They know that most of them prefer to learn about a product through valuable content, rather than through advertising. Likewise, a study carried out by the Content Marketing Institute revealed that at least 72% of the companies surveyed consider that content strategies improve the level of engagement with their customers; on the other hand, 72% affirm that they are ideal for generating leads.
At a global level, some of the companies that have best developed B2B Content Marketing strategies -in addition to Microsoft Corporation- are: American Express, SalesForce, SAP, CBInsights, and Hubspot. In Colombia, we have had the opportunity to support companies recognized in their industries for successfully implementing Content Marketing strategies , including Carvajal Espacios – Mepal and Bancolombia, which through their digital platforms such as ' Capital Inteligente', 'Innovación y Transformación Digital' and 'Actualízate', share information and specialized knowledge with their audiences about strategy and economics, strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and growth plans for SMEs, respectively.