Content Marketing vs. Advertising: Which Is Better for Your Business?
When considering a marketing strategy for your company, one common question is which types of marketing you should invest in. There are many types of marketing, from paid advertisements to social media campaigns, and knowing where to invest your time, money, and attention can be challenging.
One of the most common decisions to make is choosing between traditional paid advertising and content marketing. Both are popular means of marketing your product, and both have their own pros and cons. If you’re forced to focus on one or the other, which should you choose?
This blog will explore the pros and cons of paid advertising and content marketing and examine which method is better for getting the word out about your product. While every situation is different, content marketing has a number of advantages that make it a must-try strategy when spreading the news about your business.
What is traditional advertising?
You are probably familiar with traditional paid advertising campaigns. When you watch your favorite sporting event, and you see the name of a brand or a logo on the jersey, that’s one form of paid advertising. When you see a poster advertising the latest Hollywood blockbuster on the subway or ads in a magazine advertising a certain brand of toothpaste, that’s also traditional advertising.
Paid advertising campaigns are a type of marketing where you pay money to advertise your product in a space or timeslot where people are paying attention. Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to participate in paid advertising online. These can include:
Social media ads on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
Ad Networks
Pay-per-click ads on search engines
Paid advertising definitely has its place in a marketing strategy. Paid advertisements are often the most direct way to get the word out about your product. Investing in digital advertising campaigns can be a great way to spread brand awareness, and with good targeting, advertisements can quickly generate leads and connect your business to potential consumers.
There are downsides to paid advertising campaigns, though. Not only are they generally more expensive than content marketing, but also they are only effective while you are paying for them. They can turn off some consumers when not executed correctly.
Most of all, paid advertisement campaigns have trouble building trust and connection with consumers. They are a quick way to increase the recognition of your brand name. For more long-term, authentic connections with consumers, content marketing is a better way to go.
The problem with advertising
These days, competition for attention is at a premium. Every moment is filled with entertainment and information. True crime and informational podcasts fill their ears while they do the dishes and other chores around the house. Search engines whisk them away to blogs and articles that answer their questions in entertaining and informative ways.
At the same time, paid advertisement simply doesn’t have the cachet it used to. These days, people are so inundated with advertisements that they have become somewhat numbed to their power.
Advertising is also a disruptive way to market your product. Instead of attracting viewers with useful information, they are seeking out, advertisements to interrupt other activities they are pursuing to raise awareness about a brand or product. This can turn off consumers, who would prefer to continue watching or reading uninterrupted.
All of this comes at a higher price than content marketing. According to Forbes, content marketing campaigns cost 62% less than traditional advertising campaigns on average. Considering that content marketing avoids being disruptive and provides a genuinely appreciated service to consumers, it’s easy to see why that same article found that 78% of CMOs believe that custom-created content is the future of marketing.
Content Marketing vs. Advertising
The reason why content marketing is so powerful is that it is genuinely engaging and useful to its audience. Advertisements seek to amuse, persuade, or otherwise grab attention via brute force. Content marketing promises and delivers genuinely useful content with information about the product or service tied in.
Content marketing has become one of the most affordable and effective forms of raising awareness about products and services. That may be why 82% of marketers use content marketing as part of their digital marketing strategy.
Consumers are sophisticated these days and used to advertising techniques. According to studies, consumers reported being “banner blind”—tuning out and not noticing advertisements. Content marketing, on the other hand, is more successful. People seek out information in content marketing via search and social media and are much more likely to be engaged and receptive to the content they find there.
Some of the advantages content marketing has over traditional advertising include:
It gets information in front of an audience that is already looking for it.
It forges a genuine connection between a brand and its consumers.
It is cost-effective.
It is not disruptive.
It continues to attract attention in perpetuity.
Types of Content Marketing
The digital age is full of competition for attention. That’s largely because there is so much genuinely entertaining and informative content being produced and shared online.
Email marketing
Email marketing is a popular form of content marketing. It is an inexpensive way to provide updates to current customers. Blogs attract people with information about a topic they are searching for. Social media content is also an important form of content marketing. Videos and podcasts are ways to engage with customers using video and audio.
2. Blogs
Blogging is a great place to start with content marketing. Blogs are online publications with articles that are typically under 3,000 words each. Blogs are great because they provide concise, useful information that is perfect for answering search queries. Blogs help improve SEO, as they are great forums for including keywords and relevant links.
3. Videos
Did you know that people around the world watch over a billion hours of YouTube content every day? Having a YouTube channel and including regular videos is a great way to connect with consumers. Telling stories via video requires more investment but is a great way to explain your product and connect with people.
4. Podcasts
Podcasts are everywhere. People listen to podcasts on every topic imaginable while they’re doing chores, going on a walk, or working out at the gym. Podcasts are excellent for long-form explanations or deep dives on a topic.
These types of content are not mutually exclusive. Blog posts may contain videos. Social media posts can link to longer blog posts. Making the most out of content—finding ways for it to reach consumers through numerous channels—is a great way to make the most out of your content marketing strategy.
What are the benefits of content marketing?
Content marketing has many benefits over traditional paid advertising. Making use of content marketing engenders trust, authority, and connection between the potential consumer and the brand in question. Rather than tuning out intrusive advertising, people seek out content marketing to seek information they are genuinely interested in.
Consumers target themselves by seeking out the information. With paid advertising, a lot of work needs to be done to target specific consumers in places they are likely to be paying attention. With content marketing, consumers “self-select”—they seek out the content at the specific time they are interested in it.
For example, let’s say you’re starting a coffee shop in Brooklyn. Let’s say your coffee shop has a blog full of branded content. You might publish articles about:
The best coffeeshops in Brooklyn
How to make the perfect cup of coffee
Light roasts vs. dark roasts
The best equipment to use for a great cup of coffee
You know a few things about people seeking this content right off the bat. First, they like coffee. They like coffee enough to seek out advice and tips about finding the best coffee. Second, they are more likely to live in your area. Since some of the articles are specifically about Brooklyn, it can be assumed that mostly people who live in Brooklyn will seek out that content.
Not only are consumers self-selecting, but they also will build a sense of trust with your brand. Rather than feeling put off by a loud, intrusive advertisement, they will appreciate the genuine information you have provided and will come to trust your brand’s voice. When thinking about where to buy coffee in Brooklyn, they will inevitably think of your coffee shop as one that cannot be left out of their coffee rotation.
Content marketing is kind of magic.
Get help from the experts
By now, it should be clear that content marketing is one of the most effective ways to develop relationships with potential consumers. So what’s the catch? Why doesn’t everyone simply start publishing a blog and reaping the benefits of content marketing?
Content marketing is a skill, and seeking out expertise in that skill will be worth the investment.
Content marketing experts can help you:
1. Improve your SEO.
When consumers search for information, research shows that 25% of users click on the first Google search result. Only 2.5% click on the tenth result, and the number goes down from there. This means that getting to the top of Google’s search results is critical. If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Google’s algorithm for search results is notoriously complicated, and the field of expertise surrounding moving your page to the top of these results is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is an essential part of content marketing. A good content marketing service will know how to write authentic, engaging, and informative content while including the keywords and quality information that will move your page to the top of the search results.
2. Build an authentic connection with consumers.
With so much content competing for consumers’ attention, being able to tell your brand’s story in quality content is a high priority. Even basic writing problems like spelling or grammar errors will signal to readers that the quality of the content is low, damaging trust and authority in the message. Hiring skilled, professional content producers is a must.
3. Produce high volumes of quality content.
You want to provide content that will bring consumers back again and again. Unlike advertising, which hopes to catch attention in a single campaign, content marketing is forging a relationship between a brand and a consumer. This takes time. People who come back repeatedly and develop relationships with a brand are most likely to become regular consumers.
4. Improve content strategy.
When you first begin implementing content marketing, it can be difficult to know what to write about. One day you have an idea for a topic; the next day, you’re writing about something else. It can all get very jumbled and confusing very quickly.
A good content marketing expert will help you figure out how your content can get the best results. They are experienced in what works and can help direct your content marketing strategy in a way that is cohesive and effective. Consumers will appreciate this, too, as your content marketing channels will look professional and readable, making the path from search to purchase as seamless and easy as possible.
Final Thoughts
Paid advertising will always have a place in marketing strategy, but content marketing is increasingly becoming the best way to get the word out about your business. Content marketing builds genuine connections with an audience of consumers. It is cost-effective, engaging rather than disruptive, and continues working for as long as the content exists on a platform.
Content marketing improves your SEO and attracts readers who are already interested in the product you are selling. Beyond that, it is simply the way that modern consumers prefer to find new products. Given all that, it’s no surprise that content marketing is such an important piece of companies’ digital marketing strategies today.
While paid advertising has its place, content marketing is usually the better place to focus your attention, time, and resources.
If you’re ready to dive into content marketing, reach out at victoria@onwordcopy.com or fill out a form to get started. At Onword Copy, we can help you with SEO blogs, email marketing campaigns, website copy, social media captions and posts, and much more!
