By Rex Hammock, CEO

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal explored the current state of internet influencers. Spoiler alert: The article isn’t gung-ho about the “influencer economy” in which they say, “billions are being paid to social media personalities to pitch products riddled with deceit.” However, the article accepts the reality that, at least for the near future, influence marketing is going to be a part of the digital and social media marketing pallet.

By Rex Hammock, CEO

Since the earliest days of using the term “content marketing,” there has been confusion and debate over what the phrase means. In an article for the Content Marketing Institute, author Michael Brenner explains that one reason for the confusion is that “using content for marketing” and “creating content” mean different things.

Screen-Shot-2015-09-20-at-2.54.35-PMThis month marks the beginning of Hammock Inc.’s 25th year as a marketing services company focused exclusively on what is now called “content marketing.” During the last 25 years, we’ve been able to work with many great clients in developing all forms of print and digital media used to build long-lasting relationships with their customers. 

One important thing we’ve learned during the past quarter-century is that unlike traditional advertising, customer media and content can play an important role throughout the relationship between marketer and customer. To explain what we mean, we’ve published the Hammock Idea eBook, Content Along the Customer Journey. You can download it below.

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[This essay is from this week’s “Beyond Selling” idea-email sent by Hammock each Tuesday. You can subscribe to it here.]

In May, when Apple introduced the current-generation iPad, they used this statement to open the presentation: “We believe technology is at its very best when it’s invisible. When you’re conscious only of what you’re doing, not the device you’re doing it with.”

Think about that. The company that is responsible for some of history’s most revolutionary consumer technology is saying the goal of their innovative products is to be invisible.

Marketers (and we confess, we’re guilty) too often focus our efforts on telling the world how great our products and services are. We do all we can to look and sound awesome.

But the goal of great marketing should be to make the customer smarter, stronger, happier, or whatever the customer wants when they purchase a product or join an association or sign up for a service.

When you emphasize how your product can help customers achieve something, they don’t think of it as marketing. They think of it as help. And that’s when marketing is at its very best.