Is Content Marketing Part of Digital Marketing? Yes; Here’s Why | Brafton

Mastering marketing today is like trying to juggle flaming torches — there are so many elements to balance. Fireballs aside, quality content is just one among many components that fall under the digital marketing umbrella. 

But if you really want to nail it, you need to understand the role of effective content marketing and how it fits into the wider digital marketing landscape. Let’s dig into what content is and how you can leverage it to build a scorching strategy.

What Is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is more than just buzzwords; it’s the art of creating and sharing valuable media to attract and engage your target audience. Imagine it as the main course in a smorgasbord of digital strategies. It involves everything from written pieces like blog posts and landing pages to visual assets such as infographics and videos.

But that’s not all. A solid strategy also builds brand awareness, positioning your business as a credible and authoritative source amidst competitors. That’s why the focus has changed from the high-volume days of keyword-stuffing and robot cheats and instead, we’re scoping in on quality. 

Content creation is a form of inbound marketing, designed to draw potential customers in rather than push your product onto them. Whether it’s about boosting search engine optimization (SEO), promoting brand visibility or driving leads and conversions, content is dynamic. And it pairs strategically with other internet marketing tactics, too. You might manage it internally with your own team, partner with external experts or do a bit of both.

How Is Content Marketing Related to Digital Marketing?

Here, we’ll shed light on the distinction between content and other marketing terms. Content marketing is a subset of digital marketing, which is like a big blanket for all things related to online marketing. 

Here’s how it stacks up:

Content Marketing vs. Digital Marketing

Think of high-value digital marketing as a broad spectrum that includes strategies like SEO, social media and email marketing. Content creation is a crucial part of this spectrum, focusing on producing compelling resources to drive engagement and conversions.

Content Marketing vs. Inbound Marketing 

Humor me for a minute. If you want to get up close and personal with backyard birds, do you: 

(a) Climb up into the trees to find the birds, or

(b) Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the front lawn.

If you chose (a), it’s more like outbound marketing, where you push your products toward consumers. On the other hand, (b) is more like inbound marketing, where you draw potential customers closer to your business by engaging their interest. Here, your content would be the breadcrumbs. 

To put this in context, content marketing is the bedrock of inbound marketing. While inbound marketing aims to draw customers in through the marketing funnel, engaging content provides the actual material that attracts and retains them.

Content Marketing vs. SEO

SEO and content marketing are like peanut butter and jelly — one complements the other. SEO focuses on optimizing your publications to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing organic website traffic. Content deliverables fill the SEO sandwich with engaging, relevant material, which attracts people to your site.

Content Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing often involves interruptive tactics like TV ads or print media. Content marketing, on the other hand, is more about adding value and fostering relationships through digital channels.

Content Marketing vs. Product Marketing

Product marketing is an outbound strategy that aims to position and promote specific products. Influencer and affiliate marketing in social media are common product-focused initiatives. 

Content marketing takes a broader approach, focusing on delivering valuable information and building brand authority rather than pushing immediate sales. There are plenty of ways for content marketing to stack up with product marketing so the two can work in tandem.

Content Marketing vs. Public Relations (PR)

While content marketing and PR involve crafting messages, content is usually aimed at engaging potential customers through useful resources. PR might focus more on brand image, media relations and reputation management.

What Are Some Content Marketing Examples?

Let’s explore some real-world content marketing examples of deliverables that can make up your strategy:

• Written content: Blog posts, landing pages and guides that inform or entertain your audience while also serving SEO purposes are all content operations. These assets provide direction for visual and multimedia efforts, or feed into your social media and email marketing strategies.

• Visual assets: Infographics, white papers and eBooks combine design with information to captivate and educate your audience. The final deliverable leans heavily into written elements, which support the visual content design.

• Multimedia marketing: Videos, podcasts and webinars engage users through dynamic media. They’re excellent for reaching people who prefer auditory or visual learning. These methods combine planning and scripting with audio and video production. 

• Social media content: Posts, stories and updates tailored to platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are a great way to reach your audience. This content keeps your consumers engaged and drives traffic back to your website.

How Can You Make Content a Key Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Using content to optimize your digital marketing strategy is an innovative way to put your business out there. There are a ton of pathways available. The first step is deciding which one you want to walk. 

It’s generally recommended to combine evergreen content, which stays relevant over time, with topical content, which addresses news and trends within your niche. This way, you can show up for what your audience needs now as well as help them grow over the long term. 

Final tip before you start — it’s a jungle out there. Try not to bite everything off at once. If you’re going for social media marketing, stick to one or two platforms. If you’re going for video marketing, create reels from your YouTube content to share on the socials. Cross-functional and recyclable content saves time, and the ‘two birds, one stone’ approach is a digital marketer’s best friend. 

1. Craft a strategy: Start by researching your audience including market trends, user needs and competitor analysis. Who do you want to reach online, where are they and what media do they engage with? Use the numbers to guide your strategy, and remember, you can always build upon it or change course down the line. 

2. Plan and design: Set yourself up with a deliverables timeframe and map out the kind of content you need for maximum impact. Remember to address your audience at different stages in the funnel to provide value and draw them closer to your business. Consider how your short- and long-term strategy creates topical cohesion and consistency. Whether it’s a blog post or a video, make sure it’s polished and meaningful.

3. Implement and distribute: Begin creating your content according to schedule and disseminating it through your chosen channels. Depending on the size of your team (or whether you’re flying solo), you can produce your content in blocks early on and then share it consistently. Life and businesses are always in flux and our bandwidth for creation can undulate, so have a plan and a backup to keep your distribution regular. Algorithms love consistency. 

4. Measure and optimize: There are so many tools out there to track how your content performs. Social media platforms for business have built-in analytics. Google has its share of SEO performance metrics. Engagement rates, lead conversions and SEO rankings allow you to make data-driven decisions and refine your strategy for optimal results. 

But it doesn’t stop there. Once you reach the final step here, take a moment to congratulate yourself because building the good stuff from scratch takes high-level commitment and a mammoth effort. Refine your strategy with the data you’re now generating, then jump back to step two and start planning the next wave of incredible content.

Ready To Deepen Your Commitment to Content Marketing?

If you’re serious about elevating your digital marketing game, you should be thinking about ramping up content marketing efforts. Whether you go it alone, bolster your internal team or collaborate with a digital marketing agency, there are always abundant ways to glow-up your content strategy.

Content marketing is integral to a well-rounded digital marketing approach. Your brand stands to gain immensely by investing in compelling, strategic articles and posts. Stay in the loop about all things marketing by subscribing to our email newsletter and let’s take your content game to the next level.

With the right strategy, a dash of creativity and a commitment to quality, your content marketing will fit into your digital marketing strategy and propel it forward. So gear up and get ready to make content work its magic.