Content Marketing – an effective sales tool

By- By- S. Ganesh, INN/Chennai, @infodeaofficial

S. Ganesh – Faculty – Electronic Media & Visual Communication, HCAS

A form of public relations in terms of placing favourable stories in media as this form of marketing helps in sale of goods more easily. Unlike aggressive marketing advertising as push advertising which might take a company or a person to court, content marketing is a different form of strategy to sell a product or service. Marketing means from a time a product leaves manufacturer till it reaches user, all activities would be considered as marketing.

Marketing has been changing as new media have come into play, women have entered work force, middle class purchasing power has increased as totalitarian economies have become free. Placing favourable advertorial like stories in media would help marketing activities become easier as this is called content marketing as it is a form of public relations.

Comparative advertising was popular during 1980s or 1990s as it talks good of a product as well as how it is superior to other one. Ind- Suzuki or Hero Honda advertisements used to be like as this one and controversies used to be more at that time as it is not talked about now. Content marketing will pave way for good quality product being placed in a favourable way in media as blogs or social media talk of qualities salient to it informing educating persuading a person or a group conveniently on all aspects to lead him to buy or use it effectively.
Blogs
Placing stories in a favourable way in blogs is a form of content marketing as it is a form of PR or an activity of PR in modern day or society. Blogs chronologically tell a story of a person or a product so someone can buy it or use it for his or her satisfaction. Blogs as new media or internet describe a person or a product or a service on a regular basis so that someone can use it to refer to politicians, businessmen, industrialists using blogs to narrate stories of how a product has come about and its success stories.

For example, Anil Ambani can write a blog on Dhirubani Ambaniand empire he had created vision and the mission behind it etc to sell Reliance side of story. Reliance as popular as it is today as reliance fresh franchises consumer durables or perishables also on remote locations in India and Anil Ambani can narrate success story of Reliance effectively. Dr. KCG Verghese founder of Hindustan Group of Institutions had vision of ‘make every man a success and no man a failure’.

HGI blogs or websites are into his vision and mission effectively even today after his demise in 2006. This kind of soft stories help sale of products, creating good corporate image, identity serve as PR to take or sell a product effectively. Blogs are more today available online and inform a person’s views effectively so that a reader can keep track of events.
Techniques
Content marketing is also placing or taking a corporation side of a story in different media as American Tobacco Institute used to launch advertorials on indirect smoking claiming it has no effect on a person’s health. American Tobacco Institute says cigarette smoking will not affect others who sit or stand beside a person. Also,Loss Prevention Association of India, an association in the past of Insurance companies used to tell how to save oneself from a fire accident or a prevent a loss etc. Content marketing will present a side of story favourable to an organization or a company and support it along presenting facts.

It could be in or to a print broadcast electronic media outlet so people get favourable information.
Content marketing has come about in a big way in the US, it is in its infancy today in India with the hope that it will take corporate environment to new heights would help in era of unbelievable amount of progress and prosperity in all forms.