Why Content is No Longer King

Being one of the most successful businessmen in history, there’s no doubt that Bill Gates has got a lot of things right. In 1996 when he published an article entitled Content is King, marketers across the globe took note. It would take a brave person to tell Bill Gates he’s wrong about anything but I’m feeling brave.

It’s now 2020 and you’d be hard pushed to find a company that doesn’t have an SEO-centred blog and multiple social channels but in a world where every individual person has the means to create, share and engage, content is no longer enough. 

Here’s how your marketing team can revamp your content marketing strategy with less of a focus on putting out content and more of a focus on why you’re doing it.

Community is King

Let’s face it; every business’ end goal is to make money and content marketing is a means to get there. It’s another way to get traffic to your website and get your name out there. However, the key to this is being able to see your content within the context of a long-term vision. In short, churning out content won’t convert to sales.

All of your articles, infographics and videos are going out to contact as many eyes as possible and if your content is rushed or half decent, the eyes will think your business is half decent. 

Therefore, every single thing you’re sharing should be building your brand’s community. You want your content to tell your audience that you’re in tune with the industry, you have value to add and when people engage with your content, they are part of your family. A brand community brings advocacy, loyalty and a solid reputation.

Be More Specific

Filler content is a waste of your resources and your reader’s time. You might find yourself covering something that peer companies have covered many times before, but find your brand’s specific reason for covering it and if you can’t think of your brand’s angle, think of something else altogether. Everything you put out needs to be thought-provoking and distinctively relevant.

Refine exactly who it is you’re speaking to and why they need to hear this information from you over anyone else. With specificity comes good quality engagement and valuable followers which in turn, creates a genuine community around your brand. 

Do Something Different

While being on the pulse with current affairs is important, don’t fall into the trap of putting out certain types of content just because everybody else is. 

A blog, podcast or a YouTube channel might not be the relevant fit for your brand and instead, a clever app or a mobile game could be the answer to building your brand’s community. The ability to create addictive games or make life easier with an app could be far more effective in getting your brand out there. 

So all in all, it’s your brand Community that is king and content is just one of its loyal subjects alongside clever digital solutions and a strong brand identity. 

So I’ll give it to you Bill; you were half right.