What Is Content Marketing?

Key takeaways

Content marketing is the creation and distribution of useful, relevant content to attract and engage your brand’s target audience. 

• Content marketing can take the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, emails, newsletters, magazines, and more. 

• The four main elements of a content marketing strategy are brand positioning, value proposition, measuring ROI, and developing a plan.

• You can sustain relationships with customers when they follow your brand through channels such as emails or social media presence.

Learn about content marketing and important strategies to elevate your brand. Afterward, consider strengthening your content creation skills with the Adobe Content Creator Professional Certificate, where you'll have the opportunity to learn how to produce diverse digital content.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is the creation and distribution of useful, relevant content to attract and engage your brand’s target audience. Often, it signifies expertise in a particular area and helps promote brand awareness. Consumers want to feel connected to a brand that aligns with their identity. By putting effort into producing content that serves a purpose to existing and potential customers, delivering valuable advice can develop and nurture relationships.

Content marketing can take the form of blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, emails, newsletters, magazines, courses, webinars, social media posts, templates, quizzes, and more. 

Useful and relevant content can excite consumers to support your brand and share it with others. For example, Airbnb’s user-generated neighborhood guides are full of great suggestions from locals. Other leading examples of useful content include:

• Canva’s design school: A collection of short courses to help customers use Canva to its fullest.

• Zendesk’s blog: Features guides and advice on customer service, sales, and culture.

• Gartner’s marketing podcast: Podcast by Gartner analysts on popular marketing and communication topics such as business-to-business (B2B) selling, user personas, and more.

What are the 4 pillars of marketing?

Product, price, place, and promotion make up the four Ps of marketing. Also known as “marketing mix”, the four Ps of marketing are vital for effectively marketing any product or service. It’s important to note that marketers can prioritize some Ps over others to achieve business objectives.

Why is content marketing important?

There are many benefits to content marketing, one of the original forms of traditional marketing. Content marketing initiatives from Michelin have endured for more than a century. Content marketing is important because it:

• Creates genuine engagement: Consumers who read a brand-sponsored blog or newsletter and resonate with its content are more likely to develop a positive association and continue to support the brand.

• Delivers value: A podcast on productivity from a content management software company creates brand reputation, so its value to the customer translates into loyalty and sales.

• Offers versatility: With digital tools, there are now many ways to target prospective customers. From free knitting templates to blogs on user experience (UX) design, there are plenty of approaches for brands considering content marketing. The same brand can use different mediums to reach new audiences.

According to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report, 92 percent of marketers will either increase or maintain their investments in brand awareness in 2025, with 25 percent focusing specifically on content that resonates with brand values [1].

In 2025, 20 percent of marketers plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate initiatives, while 25 percent plan to use AI to turn text into multimedia marketing campaigns [1]. Semrush reports that 68 percent of companies using AI in their efforts see an improvement in their return on investment, with 65 percent of businesses reporting that their AI-generated content achieves better SEO results [2]. This is important because if Google searches are how a potential customer discovers a brand, then the content they’re clicking on needs to be high-quality and useful.

Read more: What Is Google My Business Local SEO?

3 ways to use content marketing strategy to grow your business

To become familiar with a brand, product, or service, customers undergo the stages of awareness, consideration, and commitment. Each stage requires different types of content that can attract and retain customers.

1. Drive awareness

During this time, customers may not be aware of your brand and what you have to offer. Providing useful and relevant content that illuminates and potentially alleviates their challenges—or elicits desire by forming an identity connection—can draw attention to your brand. Social media posts, emails, blog posts, and videos are also useful in driving awareness.

Examples:

• REI’s expert advice on What to Bring in a Bike Repair Kit that includes direct links to shop

• Bombay Sapphire’s sponsored post on Bon Appétit called 99 Gin and Tonics, recipes for every occasion and taste preference

2. Encourage consideration

At this stage of brand awareness, the consumer has heard of your brand and is considering whether to choose it versus another brand. Not only is the content useful, but it can also nudge customers in your favor. Content like articles, quizzes, and guides can be especially useful.

Examples:

• Aveda’s quiz on finding the best hair care products to suit your hair type

• Shopify’s blog post Buyer Journey Guide: How To Design an Effective Buyer Journey

3. Elicit commitment

The consumer has committed to buy your product or service, so this is the time to seal the deal. They may already subscribe to your newsletter or emails or follow you on social media, so it’s time to convince them you are the best choice out of all the competitors. After the purchase, customers may share these types of content (like tagging a friend in an Instagram post) if they feel it aligns with their identity. Newsletters, FAQ guides, research or impact reports, and social media posts can help at this stage.

Examples: 

• Yoga app Down Dog provides free access to students and teachers as part of its mission to offer affordable fitness and wellness content

• AIGA Eye on Design’s email newsletter, which synthesizes their new stories into one place

Creating high-quality content that directly targets your intended audience is important because search engine algorithms are getting smarter. Only the best content wins.

How to create a content marketing strategy

When creating a content marketing strategy for your brand, consider your target audience and the touchpoints to engage with them. These are the four main elements of a content marketing strategy: brand positioning, value proposition, measuring ROI, and developing a plan.

1. Position your brand.

First, define your brand, values, and positioning. If you are selling chocolate, are you an artisanal chocolate bar that sources its beans from South America, or are you marketing Ferrero Rocher candies? While a chocolate lover may purchase both, the two types of brands tend to appeal to different consumers. You might consider demographics and location when positioning your brand, thinking about your competitors to strategize on delivering a unique brand experience. 

2. Identify your value.

Once you have defined your brand and positioning, you can start to identify what value to deliver with specific types of content. Through channels such as emails or social media presence, you can sustain relationships with customers when they follow your brand for recipe tips, aspirational lifestyle photos, links to life hack blogs, and more. Your content offering should make sense for your brand but also convert into sales.

3. Consider your return on investment (ROI).

With your positioning and value in mind, create a compelling case for the content to drive your business forward. There is no use in wasting time and resources to produce content that does not help your organization achieve its business goals. Develop a business case that assesses the benefits, the risks, and the budget for your content strategy. Your organization must be convinced that this strategy has a high ROI in order to implement it.

4. Define your plan.

After estimating the potential ROI, you can create a plan that addresses how, when, and where (consider channels and mediums, as well as regions) your strategy will be implemented. Your plan should align with your business goals and integrate any other marketing and sales plans. With these four parts in mind, you can create a solid content marketing strategy to propel your business forward.

Explore our free resources for content marketers

Subscribe to Career ChatLinkedIn to get weekly updates on popular skills, tools, and certifications in content marketing. You can also check out these other helpful resources: 

• Bookmark for quick access: Marketing Terms: A to Z Glossary

• Watch on YouTube: How to Create ENGAGING Visual Content on Facebook

• Get expert tips: Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

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