Content Strategy Vs Content Marketing, What Are The Difference?

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Content Strategy and Content Marketing are often used interchangeably, but they differ. For B2B businesses, understanding the difference is crucial to driving leads and sales. Imagine this: Your B2B content marketing funnel isn’t working as well as it used to. Leads are coming in, but they aren’t converting. Or maybe you’re struggling to attract the right leads in the first place. You might think the problem lies in your content marketing, but it could be your content strategy. By understanding the differences between these two concepts, you can fix what’s broken and start seeing better results. This article will explain the differences between content strategy and marketing and how to align them for maximum impact.

You're not alone if you struggle to differentiate between content strategy and marketing. Many B2B marketers find these concepts confusing, so we created the notion to blog. This comprehensive resource will help you understand the differences between content strategy and content marketing and show you how to align them for maximum impact.

What is a Content Strategy?

Let's start with understanding the terms. The content marketing strategy is the “why” behind your content. It’s not just about creating content; it's about knowing why you're making it, who it’s for, and how it stands out. It’s about building an audience and driving outcomes like increased revenue or improved customer relationships.

On the other hand, content strategy is about managing all your content. It covers everything from creation to publication to governance. It’s broader and includes every piece of content your business has, not just the marketing stuff.

The Content Plan: Making It Happen

Now, let’s talk about the content plan. This is the nitty-gritty of how you’re going to execute your strategy. It details who does what, when, and how. Think of it as a marketing plan focused on content. You’ll outline the following:

Key topics

Content types

Distribution methods

Calls to action

Do You Need a Content Marketing Strategy? Absolutely

Why is a content marketing strategy essential? Research shows that those who have a documented strategy are more successful. They feel more effective, face fewer challenges, and can justify spending more on content marketing. It’s crucial to have a plan and write it down. This clarity is key to success.

Building a Content Marketing Strategy: The Essentials

A robust content marketing strategy addresses both your business and customer needs. It’s about using content to solve problems and achieve goals. While there’s no one-size-fits-all template, most strategies include these five components:

Business Case: Explain why you’re creating content, the risks involved, and what success looks like. This helps get executive support and allows room for experimentation.

Operations Plan: Outline how you’ll manage and measure your content efforts. Define your content’s purpose, mission, and objectives to set up your team for success.

Audience Personas and Customer Journey Maps: Describe who you’re creating content for, their needs, and how they engage with your content throughout their journey.

Brand Story: Identify the messages you want to communicate and how they differ from competitors. Consider how the market will change once you share these messages.

Channel Plan: Determine which platforms you’ll use to tell your story and how they’ll work together to create a cohesive brand message.

Keeping Your Strategy Fresh: When to Update

Your mission and business goals are foundational and should remain stable as your program grows. Nevertheless, other aspects like channel strategy, core topics, and processes should be reviewed and updated regularly. Revisit these elements annually or more often if you’re in the early stages.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is about crafting and sharing valuable information that attracts and engages your brand’s target audience. It’s a way to showcase your expertise while promoting brand awareness. Consumers are looking for brands that resonate with their identity, and by providing meaningful content, you can build stronger connections. This approach helps you develop and nurture relationships by delivering advice that matters.

Content Marketing Formats: Creativity Meets Strategy

Content marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It comes in many forms, including:

Blog posts

Videos

Podcasts

Infographics

Emails

Newsletters

Courses

Webinars

Social media posts

Templates

Quizzes

Each format serves a unique purpose and can be tailored to your audience’s preferences.

Content Marketing Champions: Brands Leading the Way

Some companies are crushing it with content marketing. Canva’s Design School offers short courses to help users get the most out of Canva. Zendesk’s Blog features guides on customer service, sales, and culture. Dell Technologies’ Trailblazers podcast shares unexpected stories of digital disruption and is hosted by Walter Isaacson.

Content Marketing’s Roots: A Look Back

The concept of content marketing isn’t new. In 1732, Benjamin Franklin promoted his printing business with Poor Richard’s Almanack, an annual book filled with:

Weather forecasts

Household tips

Puzzles

Johnson & Johnson published “Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment” 1888 for doctors using bandages. In 1900, the Michelin Guide was launched, offering car maintenance and travel advice.

The Value of Content Marketing: More Than Meets the Eye

Content marketing can be challenging to quantify because it benefits businesses in different ways, some measurable and some not. Still, nearly 40 percent of marketers say content marketing is crucial to their overall strategy.

This includes creating fresh content and updating existing materials. HubSpot’s recent report found that blog content creation is a top priority for 53 percent of marketers, and 61 percent said updating and repurposing content was effective in 2020.

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Content Creation in Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing Content Management

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Optimized Content Marketing

SEO Content Marketing Strategy

Content Strategy Vs Content Marketing, What Are the Difference?

Content strategy and content marketing are like two gears in a well-oiled machine. They serve different purposes but need each other to move things forward. Content strategy is all about the big picture. It defines how content helps achieve your broader business goals, like aligning with your brand’s mission and addressing audience needs.

Content marketing, on the other hand, is action-oriented. It focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content to:

Create brand awareness

Generate leads

Drive demand

Approaches That Move the Needle

Regarding approaches, content strategy sets the stage for content marketing. It involves the foundational work that informs content marketing. This includes conducting research and audits to understand audience needs and market gaps:

Tone

Voice

Formats guidelines

Establishing production

Distribution

Measurement processes

Content marketing then translates the strategy into actionable campaigns:

It assembles resources to create content assets like blogs, videos, and social media posts

It shares content through appropriate channels to build the brand’s presence

It measures the performance of campaigns

It makes adjustments as needed.

Outcomes That Matter

In terms of outcomes, content strategy creates long-term systems and frameworks, ensuring consistent messaging and positioning the brand as the solution to its audience’s problems. Its impact is seen in the seamless execution of campaigns and alignment with business objectives.

Content marketing generates immediate, tangible results such as:

Increased traffic

Improved brand authority

Conversions

Its success is evident in website visits, leads, and customer engagement metrics.

How They Work Together

While content strategy and content marketing are distinct, they are interdependent. Content strategy defines the why and how of content creation. Without a clear strategy, marketing efforts lack direction and focus. Content marketing brings the strategy to life. It’s the practical application:

Creating content

Distributing content

Analyzing content to achieve the goals set by the strategy

Both must work together. A strategy with implementation is a well-spent effort, and marketing with a strategy can lead to consistent and effective campaigns. Think of content strategy as designing a blueprint for a house. It decides the following:

Purpose of each room

Materials required

Construction timeline

Content marketing is building the house, laying the foundation, constructing the walls, and adding finishing touches.

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Content Marketing SEO Tips

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SEO And Content Marketing Trends

Effective SEO And Content Marketing

B2B Content Marketing Best Practices

16 Best Practices for Implementing Content Strategy and Content Marketing

1. Strategize and Plan Like a Pro

Crafting a successful content strategy requires more than just a few good ideas. Whether you want to raise brand awareness, highlight a new product, or establish thought leadership, your goals should shape your strategy. Focus on achievable objectives like boosting revenue, generating leads, or enhancing customer engagement. Remember, your goals should be realistic and based on research, not wishful thinking.

2. Know Your Audience Inside and Out

The key to effective content marketing is understanding your audience. What are their needs, motivations, and challenges? Creating buyer personas and researching can help you create empathetic content campaigns that resonate with your audience.

3. Audit Your Content: It’s Not as Scary as It Sounds

Before churning out new content, take a step back and assess what you already have. What’s working, and what’s not? Sometimes, a simple content refresh can breathe new life into an existing piece, saving time and effort.

4. Create Content That Stands Out

Your content should be tailored to your target demographic, offering something they can’t find anywhere else. Consider what content your customers want to see and what formats they will likely engage with. Don’t be afraid to showcase what makes your business unique.

5. Balance Evergreen and Topical Content

Evergreen content stays relevant long after it’s published, driving traffic and providing value to your audience. But don’t forget about topical content, which can help your readers stay ahead of industry trends. A mix of both will keep your content strategy well-rounded.

6. Make It Personal

Your content should speak directly to your audience’s pain points and interests. Use personas to guide your content creation, ensuring each piece is appropriately targeted to a specific audience segment.

7. Use Analytics to Keep Improving

Tools like Google Analytics can help you monitor your content’s performance and identify areas for improvement. Pay attention to what’s working and use those insights to optimize new and existing content.

8. Deliver Real Value

Your content should do more than just fill space—it should provide real value to your audience. Educate them, answer their questions, and build trust through blogs, infographics, podcasts, and more. Story-driven content often performs better than purely authoritative pieces.

9. Diversify Your Content Portfolio

Keep your audience engaged by mixing things up. In addition to blog posts, consider creating:

White papers

eBooks

Webinars

Other types of content

This will help you reach different audience segments and keep things fresh.

10. Harness the Power of Licensed Content

Licensed content can help you establish thought leadership and save time by curating high-quality pieces from reputable sources. This can also help you diversify your content and establish credibility with your audience.

11. Don’t Be Afraid to Outsource

If you don’t have the time or resources to maintain a consistent content schedule, consider outsourcing some of your content creation. This can help you maintain visibility and maximize your content marketing efforts.

12. Promote Your Content Wisely

Getting your content in front of many people is key to its success. Use paid and organic channels to distribute your content, and consider leveraging social media, industry publications, and email marketing to reach your audience.

13. Repurpose Content to Save Time

Repurposing content can save you time and resources while driving traffic and growing your brand. This can include turning blogs into podcasts, interviews into ebooks, and more.

14. Stay on Top of Industry News

Showcasing industry news can help establish your brand as a thought leader and provide valuable insights to your audience. Partnering with reputable publications can help you curate high-quality news content without wasting resources.

15. Set Clear Goals for Your Content

Knowing if your content strategy is working is hard without clear goals and KPIs. Establishing these benchmarks will help you track progress and make informed decisions about the most effective tactics.

16. Consistency Is Key

To maintain a successful content strategy, you need to be consistent. An editorial calendar can help you plan and organize your content, ensuring you’re always on track.

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Effortlessly Send Newsletters from Notion

Feather goes beyond blogging. It also lets you send newsletters directly to your Notion email subscribers. Collect emails, manage your subscribers, and send beautiful newsletters without ever leaving the platform. This is content marketing made easy, allowing you to focus on creating great content while Feather handles the rest.

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