4 Steps to Effective Content Marketing in 2020 From a Former Contributions Editor

Content marketing is evolving, and here’s how your company or brand can benefit from new ways to engage audiences

I have been a contributions editor, inbound marketer, content developer, media relations manager, and venture builder in the past decade of my professional life.

Through all these different hats, I have seen how content marketing has grown to become a viable strategy for businesses to engage audiences, build brand equity, and establish deal flows and profitability. I have also seen certain dynamics at play, especially from the perspective of both brand relevance and editorial integrity.

Content marketing is continuously evolving. While there are established strategies that have proven effective, the marketing landscape is changing for the better. And then there are the bad apples that showcase how the system can potentially be corrupted.

For instance, it is an open secret that inbound marketing has involved pay-for-play setups between brands and authors for years, even on established and major publications. In July 2018, BuzzFeed documented how a contributor on established publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and Inc, had been paid to write about clients without appropriate disclosure.

Legitimate content marketing will involve clear disclosure by a publication or author clear regarding their relationship with a brand. The issue is that undisclosed relationships take advantage of the trust that authors and publications have established with their readers.

Several top publications had already closed down their contribution programs that same year, citing volume, maintenance costs, and the potential for being misused for fake news and promotions. To date, many top-tier and even mid-tier publications have tightened the editorial controls over their contribution programs, in order to ensure quality and prevent misuse.

And then there is the concept of “ad blindness,” which pertains to how audiences are either oblivious or averse to marketing material that they read online. It is the same case with content marketing. Thus, content that is clearly marked as promotional or partnership material will tend to have lower value than something that is editorial in nature. Organic content — earned media — is something far more valuable than obviously bought media.

If you are in the content marketing business, that does not mean that media is no longer a viable means of brand building, however. There are still a lot of strategies that will be effective in giving value to brands and clients, without necessarily breaking trust in the editorial system.

1. Add value and provide clout

When I was contributions editor at a tech startup publication, I received dozens of contributions and pitches every day. While around 20 percent of these I consider to be truly driven by expertise (e.g., articles written by founders or venture capitalists), a good majority was from copywriters and brands wanting to get some coverage.

It was easy to filter out contributions that were blatantly promotional. However, there were some authors and contributions that really stood out. These were the ones that provided a lot of value in their content.

Provide data and analysis

For instance, some contributors do their own research and metrics and have thus written data-driven editorials. These were highly focused on the region we worked in and were thus very relevant to the audience.

Show or share expertise

Some contributors take the effort to seek expert advice on industry matters — such as CEOs, founders, investors, or industry analysts. Reputable sources like these give your stories more clout.

Provide exclusive access

The above examples can be part of exclusive content. This can include data or analysis crunched by your own company or proprietary figures that can establish certain trends in the industry. This can also be in the form of prestigious sources providing exclusive content such as quotes, interviews, and the like.

This can involve some effort — collecting data, providing analysis, and collecting expert insights. However, these are considered more valuable than something that is too product- or brand-driven. If an article provides value to an audience, then it is also considered valuable to an editorial team.

2. Establish a narrative backed by data or facts

Stories establish empathy with an audience. Research says that a well-crafted narrative can “outperform argument-based messages in certain situations, notably because they are thought to exert unique influence via particular mediational pathways.”

Numbers also tell a good story. In fact, they can tell a better story. But what if your numbers or the industry numbers don’t necessarily align with the messaging you want to bring across?

According to research by Rebecca J. Krause and Derek D. Rucker, stories can be used to “obscure [weak facts] and increase persuasion.” However, audiences are growing smart enough to know if the story is merely spin. “[T]he story can backfire when you have strong facts.”

If you have strong data on your side, it is best to present these in the most straightforward manner and build your narrative around it.

One thing to consider: Headlines that focus on facts and data are effective. Orbit Media found that headlines with data and numbers are 73 percent more engaging than those without.

Use these facts and numbers to persuade. For instance: What are the industry trends, and how will these impact me as a stakeholder?

3. Come from a neutral perspective

Press releases have their place in the PR industry, especially for businesses that need to make formal announcements. This does nil to content marketing, however.

PRs are promotional, too brand- or product-driven, and will not add value to an audience. Editors are bombarded by PR pitches, and unless the pitch is highly specific to their industry and contains potentially groundbreaking news or insider information, it will be left unread and untouched.

However, approaching the story or narrative with a neutral perspective will certainly open more opportunities for media coverage and interest.

I already mentioned on the first two points how to add value by providing access and clout as well as focusing on facts.

Therefore, instead of focusing on your brand or company, a neutral perspective can mean a focus on your industry. For example: What are the industry’s challenges? How are businesses innovating to overcome these challenges? What will the impact on stakeholders be?

4. Explore the bigger picture

Lastly, do not take content marketing or even brand promotion as an end in itself. Brand awareness, education, and trust-building are seen as the top goals for B2B content marketing, for instance. However, it should not end there.

Trust and clout can be used as a bridge toward building partnerships, for example. It can be used to engage higher-level targets. In the case of startups and VCs, it can spell the difference between being a nobody and being someone you can trust.

“Content marketing is one strategy that can help venture capitalists demonstrate their expertise and build their credibility not only with startups but also with the media and other co-investors,” says Katie Griffing, founder of Launchway Media.

Content marketing can be used to start a conversation that will lead to meaningful partnerships, especially when if your target is B2B. Don’t just publish and measure. Follow-through.

The takeaway

Effective content marketing is targeted, measurable, and impactful. In my years of working in this industry, I have found that the best content marketing campaigns are those that are targeted toward conversations that lead to partnerships and profitability.