I’m an inbound marketer.
Until recently, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to the label I gave myself. Occasionally, when someone asked what I did, I’d reference content marketing. For me, inbound and content marketing are both about providing value – in this regard, they’re interchangeable.
They’re about being there when someone is looking for information. My goal is to help people solve problems. It’s not about interrupting someone’s day; it’s about getting them answers while they’re asking questions.
That said, a lot of the people we work with at Wriber are true content marketers. They’re great writers with incredible insight into their audience. They create wonderful stories.
And, their inbound counterparts are lucky to be able to share those stories!
Tell me more!
The internet has liberated consumers from top-down messaging, allowing us access to a wealth of information we didn’t have even 30 years ago. No wonder 94% of B2B buyers research products online before purchasing.
Proactive and savvy brands have been quick to ditch traditional forms of advertising that bully and drag their consumers and clients through their sales funnels. Marketers in the B2B space now try to ensure that by the time a prospect gets to their sales teams, they’re saying, “tell me more”!
In order to accomplish this, two things are required:
1. Amazing (read, helpful) assets that are
2. delivered at the right time.
So what’s the difference?
Content marketing is the creation of video, emails, ebooks, whitepapers, blogs: basically any vehicle for communicating with your customer.
Inbound marketing provides context, making sure those assets get in front of the right people at the right point in their journey.
Many people argue that content and inbound marketing are one in the same. I think they’re missing an important distinction: focus.
As an inbound marketer, I try to find ways to draw people in. My wonderful content marketing friends focus on creating compelling stories that will keep them engaged when they’re here.
They’re creative, and instinctual but data-driven. I’m continually amazed by the amount of quality material that content marketers generate. It might all be marketing, but in my opinion, content marketers are artists.
John is the Founder & CEO of Wriber. He’s passionate about entrepreneurship, high-tech startups, thought leadership, content marketing, and artificial intelligence. John frequently volunteers his time at the University of Waterloo to help young entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. He’s also a faithful Toronto Maple Leafs fan, frequent Redditor, and lifelong learner.