By Rex Hammock, CEO

“Content marketing” has become associated with everything from search engine optimization to lead generation. But sometimes its most powerful role is overlooked—content is often what separates a leading product from its competitors. In this role, content isn’t just a way to market a product, but part of the product itself.

In the past, we’ve mentioned examples like Williams-Sonoma, which serves as a benchmark model for using content to add value to a product. Williams-Sonoma doesn’t just sell pots and pans—they teach customers how to become better cooks and entertainers.

Another way to set your company apart from its competitors is to dominate the customer “point-of-need.” This is similar to Google’s “micro-moments”, a location-based marketing concept that helps companies offer immediate solutions when their customers turn to mobile devices to learn, discover, watch or buy something.

Yet with point-of-need content, the focus isn’t on the location of a nearby restaurant or the capital of Maine. Instead, it’s the kind of content that has replaced the paper user manual or product directions. I frequently see products that use a QR code to direct a user to a YouTube video that further explains how to use the product. Point-of-need content makes it easier to not only explain the big stuff, but to be more precise and detailed about the information provided.

Point-of-need marketing isn’t about being overly clever. It’s about being overly helpful in serving your customer precisely where and when they need your product.

Bottomline: Point-of-need content marketing is never ignored or “blocked” by customers. It’s the kind of marketing that customers seek. It’s appreciated as help, not hype.

Image: iStock.com



About Hammock Idea Email |
This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.