Content marketing has become such a large part of the online marketing experience that it’s hard to imagine a world without it. But it’s not only a staple of the internet; content marketing has a place offline too.
We’re going to take a look back at the history of content marketing; from it’s pamphlet origins through to online pieces, and how it grew to become as important as it is today, for anyone seeking marketing success.
And then we’ll explore the future, to see where the craft is could be heading in the next few years.
So buckle up. It’s an intriguing, bumpy ride.
Content marketing – the early years
Content has been distributed for promotional purposes for a long, long time. Early remnants of the content marketing experience can be found by taking a look at old catalogues, brochures, pamphlets and guides.
One of the earliest pieces of content marketing is widely agreed to be the Michelin Tyre’s guide. This booklet was put together to advertise the company’s tyres by being a useful source of information for car care, and also as a way to find places to stay.
The guide has gone on to also incorporate restaurants, and a Michelin Star is one of the highest sought after awards a restaurant can have.
This is an example of the of the earliest, and best, models of content marketing.
Although they sell tyres, Michelin made a name for itself as being knowledgeable and helpful about cars, accommodation and food – all of which have contributed to a positive customer view of the brand.
And it wasn’t the only brand who saw what content marketing really could do.
Other brands such as the American company Jell-O also gave the content marketing domain a chance in the early 1900s and by doing so, managed to grow its revenue, alongside their successful campaign.
In fact, if you look, you’ll find a wide selection of companies who took advantage of content marketing, are still in existence today. It’s been clear since day one that the importance of this type of marketing is an undisputable truth.
The growth of content marketing
After booklets and pamphlets came magazines. Brands such as Lego took advantage of the movement, and promoted its product through the medium of printed content to children and enthusiasts everywhere.
On top of this, another way of getting content marketing to potential customers was via post.
However, the key to doing content marketing in this format is not simply posting what people think of as ‘junk’ mail. Instead, content that is sent via post should inform and be useful for customers – which is what makes content marketing such a successful medium for advertising.
All of these were and still are, ways to inform, engage, teach and intrigue a company’s customer, and if content marketing is done effectively, the business who is supplying it to potential customers is likely be at the forefront of a consumer’s mind, should they need their services in the future.
It’s for this very reason that content marketing continued to grow in popularity, and also why it is still favoured to this day.
Content marketing in 2015
Despite having origins date back to the 1900s, content marketing is still alive and well.
Just last year, brands such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, British Airways and more, all made use of it in order to promote their products.
And the importance of content marketing has done nothing except grow alongside the rise of the internet.
Now, content is regularly shared via social media by brands who want to assist customers and keep the name fresh in people’s minds.
Content marketing is a way to promote a business, whilst also appearing as a thought leader in your sector.
The way in which it increases brand awareness, especially by those who promote their content via social media, really is a fantastic way to attract people to your products and services. This is because it reduces a need for constant hard selling, which has been known to turn customers off.
But where is content marketing heading?
The future of Content Marketing
The future looks as intriguing as the past.
It’s a common belief that incorporating images and videos is becoming an increasingly beneficial way to attract users to online content and keep them there.
Some predict that the capital invested in content marketing will heavily grow throughout 2015 and onwards to 2016, and that long form content will also still remain popular.
On top of this, it’s predicted that there will be more professional writers becoming involved with creating effective content marketing pieces, and that the rise of free e-books will begin to take hold.
Yet whatever the predictions, one thing’s for sure.
Content marketing is here to stay, is growing in popularity, and could be the thing you need to take your business growth to the next level.
With that in mind, are there any developments you think we’ll see in the near future? Or perhaps there’s a content marketing campaign from the past that you feel deserves a shout out? We’d love for you to get involved with and let us know by tweeting your thoughts to us @theukseo.
Alternatively, if you’re in need of some content marketing services, then we could be the answer you’re looking for.
We specialise in all things content marketing, as well as social media, SEO and web design, and with such a wide array of versatile services, we can help you build your content marketing to new heights.
So what are you waiting for?
Give us a call on 07816897301, or feel free to have a browse around our website and check out the services we offer.
We’re here to help you build your content marketing above and beyond the competition, so you can be sure we have the capability, knowledge and expertise to help you do precisely that.