Having the right technology is essential for any marketing strategy, but columnist Alex LePage reminds us that it’s the content that will make or break your advertising campaign.
There are three “greats” that are needed for any digital marketing campaign: great technology, great data and great content. A lot of emphasis today is placed on the first two, and often the content gets lost in the shuffle.
It’s completely understandable why this happens. The technology is what allows marketers to get their message out on a scale once thought to be impossible, and the data is what enables them to discover and analyze their audience to provide the best experience possible.
The content may not seem as important in comparison, but it’s still a critical component. In the marathon that is digital marketing, you need the technology to blast you forward, the data to keep you on the best path, and the content to get you over the finish line.
Why Content Is Crucial
Content is so crucial because it is the customer-facing portion of your efforts. The algorithms may take a lot of resources to put together, and the data may take a large swath of time to analyze effectively — but what the customer ends up seeing is the content.
You could have the greatest tech stack in the industry, but if the content itself doesn’t connect with customers, it’s all for naught. That is why it’s important to keep content in mind when putting together the other aspects of your marketing organization.
That can sometimes be a challenge, especially when it comes to incorporating the technology end of things. Technology is the “how” of your campaigns, and it’s often acquired through third parties, versus being proprietary to a given brand.
Regardless, it is the platform on which your brand can reach untold heights. The content is the “why.” It’s the channel through which your brand message can reach customers, generating engagements and sales.
A Bridge Between Tech And Content
This is where the value of intent data really shines. The appropriate use of the right data provides a bridge that connects the technology and the content.
Often, people think of intent marketing as just sending an ad to a certain demographic or interest group, but the fact is that intent marketing isn’t just the utilization of intent data — it’s the overarching force that occurs when you use data to connect technology in a way that empowers content.
With the right intent marketing strategy, you can position content in a way that evokes an emotional response from customers. This requires more than just the right tools; it requires a genuine interest in understanding your audience.
Say, for example, a customer follows a number of horror movie directors on Twitter. Not only does this demonstrate that he or she enjoys being frightened and also enjoys visual media, but this data can then be applied to make content that is more suspense-oriented and visual, using minimal text and dark tones.
Real-time bidding technology then enables you to put the ad on the news site that the customer frequents, and their interest is piqued by the relevancy of the content.
Connecting With Consumers
Effective intent marketing isn’t just about the tools. The technology and the data are both very important pieces, but the content is what makes or breaks an advertising campaign.
After all, what is intent if not helping to deduce the intended content that a customer is most likely to enjoy? When marketers keep content the focal point in their strategy, they’re able to craft an overall experience that connects with customers on a fundamental level.
This provides much more than simple engagements. It also nurtures a relationship that can inspire brand advocacy and word-of-mouth growth — a holy grail of any marketing campaign.
Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.
(Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
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