Content Marketing and Not Just Advertising : Starring Brands

Bespoke and consistent content in the digital space and media is ever-evolving. Consumers want the most direct, fast, and concise message possible. Which brings us to the story of today’s ever-growing thirst for video content, and youth usage.

Content marketing isn’t just about pushing products or services; it’s about creating valuable and engaging content that resonates with your audience. In this blog post, we’ll explore the value of content marketing and why it goes beyond traditional advertising.

1. Building Trust and Credibility

One of the primary goals of any marketing strategy is to build trust with your audience. Content marketing excels in this aspect because it allows you to position yourself as an authority in your industry. When you consistently produce high-quality, informative, and relevant content, you establish your expertise and credibility. Unlike traditional advertising that can be seen as self-promotion, content marketing focuses on providing value to the audience, which naturally leads to trust.

2. Providing Value to Your Audience

Content marketing is all about providing valuable information to your target audience. Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media updates, the focus is on solving problems, answering questions, and addressing pain points your audience may have. By offering this value, you create a positive association with your brand. People are more likely to remember and engage with brands that have provided them with helpful information in the past.

3. Long-Term Relationship Building

Advertising often aims for quick conversions and immediate results. While that’s essential in some cases, content marketing takes a more long-term approach. It’s about nurturing relationships with your audience over time. Through consistent content creation, you can keep your audience engaged and interested in your brand, even when they’re not actively in the market for your products or services. This can lead to more loyal customers and higher customer lifetime value.

4. SEO Benefits

Content marketing plays a significant role in search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google reward websites that regularly produce fresh, relevant, and high-quality content. When you optimize your content for keywords related to your industry, you increase your chances of appearing in search results. This not only brings organic traffic to your website but also positions your brand as an authoritative source in your field.

5. Cost-Effectiveness

Traditional advertising can be expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. Content marketing offers a cost-effective alternative. While it requires an investment of time and effort to create valuable content, the long-term benefits often outweigh the initial costs. Additionally, the reach of your content can extend far beyond what traditional advertising can achieve, especially in the era of social media sharing.

6. Engaging Storytelling

Content marketing allows for creative and engaging storytelling. It enables you to connect with your audience on a deeper level by sharing your brand’s story, values, and mission. Through storytelling, you can create emotional connections with your audience, making your brand more relatable and memorable.

The Power of Content Marketing: Beyond Advertising

The Rise of TikTok

One of the notable trends in the world this year. With the influx of platforms such as TikTok, the east has truly met the west. It has now 2.3 billion all-time downloads. Another significant circumstance is its focus on localized content. Videos created on TikTok earn 17 billion average monthly views. If your brand’s target audience includes anyone between the ages of 13 and 40, you should be on TikTok right now.

The Rise of ‘Story’ Format

The story has been adopted not only by Snapchat but also by Instagram. Add Facebook, WhatsApp, Youtube, and most recently by LinkedIn and Twitter. However, brands and users can now do much more than just post 15-second stories. Instagram allowing users to design their filters. So others can use them in their Stories. Therefore, brands now have the opportunity to build engaging and happy experiences for their customers.

The Rise of in-game advertising

If you have played Fortnite or any other popular game in 2020, then you know what we are talking about. It can be annoying to watch a 30-sec ad to keep on progressing in your game. Undoubtedly one of the most common practices. Initiated by developers in partnership with brands, to keep their game free of charge. As copypress puts it

However, we expect branded content and its journey in the gaming environment perhaps more valuable.

The Rise of programmatic ads via artificial intelligence (AI)

Thanks to OTT, advertisers can expand their audience reach that previously was only available on traditional TV.  OTT advertising is a targeted ad delivery on Internet-connected TV sets enabled by the internet. According to smarty ads, experts predict that the money coming from OTT ads will increase anywhere from 45-60%. 

Another example is the use of voice search and voice commands for commercial purposes. We can expect brands to be interested in their voice apps for use on voice assistants.

The Rise Of Video

“Video display’s growth is also strong, increasing 3.6% in 2020 as social media ad units drive growth in the format.” eMarketer

For the consumer, one of the biggest benefits of OTT is being able to stream content over many devices. Such rise of content in a digital world is offering more opportunities than ever. To have specifically engaging and targeted conversations. 

Gaming is also likely to keep on being a trend for brands along with the use of video and voice in an artificially intelligent world.

TikTok has never revealed its core AI algorithm to the public but the gist is easy to grasp even by just using the app. We are expecting easy-to-make, easy-to-watch, short-form video ads to become more popular than ever before.

eMarketer’s Global Digital Ad Spending Update Q2 2020, also paints a picture for advertising amid the coronavirus pandemic. While worldwide digital ad spending will achieve a modest 2.4% growth this year, it’s expected to bounce back with a growth of 17% in 2021. Video featuring prominently.

To Sum Up

In conclusion, content marketing goes beyond traditional advertising in its ability to build trust, provide ongoing value, and nurture long-term relationships with your audience. It offers SEO benefits, is cost-effective, and allows for engaging storytelling.

Let your customer decide when they trust your DNA enough to buy from you.

Let the gamers find and earn your brand if it helps them progress.

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Maria Umer

Content Writer at Starring Brands, Upwork, and Freelancer

A content writer based in Dubai with a diversified portfolio in websites, blogs and creative writing.
Previously a beauty and fashion consultant with experience in London Mumbai Karachi Dubai.

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