Content Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing
As is with most "emerging" marketing trends, which bring hope an promise of increased sales and revenues to marketers all over, Content Marketing is today's buzz word generating all the excitement. First it was a website, then a facebook page, then a twitter account, then, for the last 3 or more years, mobile marketing and today it is Content Marketing. They all promised to break new ground and sales records while the ever evolving marketing industry continually tries to re-invent itself every time a new technological breakthrough or idea is born. Of all, I believe Content Marketing will be the most powerful yet.
Hispanic Marketing agencies should be at the forefront of this trend. Not only do Hispanics over-index in all types of digital engagement, compared to the amounts of content available to the general market online, Hispanics only feed on "content scraps", if they are lucky.
So, helping brands become publishers of entertaining and educating materials instead of ads is a brilliant idea in general, but much more so for Hispanic Marketing. This is especially true if you are trying to reach the bicultural and bilingual Hispanic consumer, who choses which language to consume one particular type of content vs another. The content can be generated in the preferred language and then published in the appropriate channel without worrying about insulting or alienating other important audiences.
As General Market agencies scramble to get a foot hold on this new frontier, what will Hispanic agencies do? Wil they just sit idling by, waiting for their General Market counterparts to figure how to wrangle this Content Marketing monster, before jumping in? I hope not.
Many argue, and I most definitely agree, that the biggest opportunity for marketers lies with Hispanics, specially bicultural Hispanics, and Digital markting. Today, I raise the claim to include Content Marketing. Hispanics, Digital and Content Marketing are absolutely where marketers and agencies, Hispanic and General Market, need to be focusing their attention on. Content in the shape of blogs, white papers, tweets, e-books, sponsored stories, posts and video are within easy reach of any agency with a half way decent budget to attract Hispanic customers.
So let's jump on it. Stop thinking about content only as BMW films, Viral Videos or amazing Infographics! These are only SOME examples of content marketing. The truth is, the written word is probably the most valuable type of Content there is- followed by video, no doubt- and agencies have copywriters, who know the brands they work on and most importantly, know the consumers wants and needs. So write about them! Produce blogs, articles and posts about what it is a product must accomplish, and let them decide whether yours does it or not. Please see this article about how to create content marketing for the social web to see other ideas. There is nothing stopping Hispanic agencies from developing a content plan and strategy to help their clients -and themselves- open up to a new revenue source.
To conclude, here is one of those "I'm not bitter" personal marketing stories. Not long ago, while pitching a Hispanic digital ecosystem to a client in the alcoholic beverages industry the boss of bosses asked me whether I was suggesting that his brand, which makes and sells beer, should now become a producer and publisher of content? I responded with a resounding "Sí". Then the client said, ok that means I will need to kill one of our TV spots and use that money to do this. The agency leaders responded "Nooo"! And our first attempt to help get the client and the agency into the world of content marketing, way before it was a buzzword, died right there and then. It was 3 years ago. his is one client meeting I really wish I had recorded.
I'm Lalo Wakefield, Hispanic Marketing Consultant helping General Market Agencies reach Latinos and Hispanic Agencies reach Digital natives. Let me know what you need!