Content Marketing: Can we just agree to agree?

The practice of Content Marketing could go away if we can’t agree on what it is

The term Content Marketing is absolutely everywhere today in the marketing world. Despite that, it continues to amaze me how many different meanings truly exist out there. When people say ‘Content Marketing,’ what do they really mean?

Some mean the groundbreaking work done by Chipotle, which is certainly sponsored by the brand, but definitely isn’t advertising. Others may be referring to so-called native advertising, where a publisher and brand work together to create a sponsored message (that looks more like an editorial one).

Others still may believe that it’s just hype or that Content Marketing is literally anything a brand creates and distributes digitally, regardless of the message itself.

I would argue that the Chipotle example above is Content Marketing and the other two are not, but you may disagree with me. That’s not the problem.

The problem is, until the majority of us marketing folks agree what Content Marketing is — and it seems we’re nowhere close to that yet — marketers will struggle to have confidence in this thing that seems to keep changing on them.

This is where you’ll think I’ve gone completely crazy

What could this lack of agreement mean? I believe if we don’t become more consistent around a specific meaning for Content Marketing, it may not last.

What? How is that possible?

Of course brands will continue to create more and more content, but that doesn’t mean they will continue to employ the practice of Content Marketing. And that could be bad for everyone.

I know, I know…lots of research has been done where brands say they will be increasing spending on Content Marketing. But here’s the thing: if they don’t understand what Content Marketing is, are they really spending money on it?

I believe those of us in the Content Marketing space have a responsibility to be more consistent with each other in order to help build that confidence in something we all know can work…and work well.

But, until we’re all talking about Content Marketing in the same way, it’s just another confusing term marketing executives can’t quite figure out.

And they won’t continue to invest in something they don’t understand.