How Marketers Can Use the 4 C’s of Marketing in Content Marketing
3 Feb 2014
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You know about the traditional 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. Marketing professionals also use the 4 C’s of marketing -- Consumer, Cost, Communication, and Convenience -- to develop consumer-oriented content and messages. This helps marketers nurture their bonds with their audiences and transform their consumers into brand advocates. Here is how you can leverage the 4 C’s of marketing in your content strategy:
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Consumer
Your content should be about your consumers, not about you. Your content should give insights, tips, best practices, and latest news to your audience so that they can resolve their needs. After all, your audience only cares about their own interests; they’re unlikely to spend time consuming content that isn’t about them. Therefore, if you’re a fashion retailer, your content should give tips on how your shoppers should dress this spring, what’s trendy in Europe this season, or how to put together a killer outfit without spending a boatload of money. This consumer-oriented approach will help you deepen your relationship with your audience and induce them to continue to frequent your website. -
Cost
The cost of a product isn’t just the price. It’s the cost of using it. For instance, an item may only cost $20 to purchase but its true cost may be higher if it’s cumbersome to use.. This concept can also be applied to content marketing. For instance, if an article is difficult to read due to its layout, language, or format, it’ll be “costly” for the audience to consume even if it’s easy to find the article. To ensure your content is ‘cost-effective’ to your audience, you have to make sure your website layout and navigation are user-friendly, your content is useful and well-written, and your website is friendly for different screen sizes, especially mobile devices. -
Communication
Companies or marketers now have an array of communication tools to select from. Brands can use Instagram to show rich images of their products to their audiences, Twitter to promote upcoming events, and YouTube to give live detailed video demonstrations of their services. While these tools allow you to engage with consumers worldwide, they’re only effective if you select the right channel for the right audience. For instance, if you want to show images of your products to consumers between the ages of 18 and 24, you may want to use Instagram as opposed to Twitter since most users who use Instagram are young and use the app to look at pictures. By choosing the appropriate channels, you’ll be able to disseminate your brand message successfully to your desired consumer group. -
Convenience
Similar to how ease-of-purchase affects a consumer’s buying decision, the convenience of consuming content also influences the audience’s desire to read an article. If an article is difficult to read due to irritating factors such as pop-ups and tiny fonts, your audience won’t likely read it. A lot of content competes for attention on the Internet, and even with good SEO practices, your audience may not always be able to find you just by searching. To make your content easier to access, email newsletters to existing customers, or use social media to reach out to new ones: tweet articles or publish Instagrams at optimal times. These approaches enhance the convenience of reading your content and encourage your audience to consume your articles frequently.
By leveraging the 4 C’s of marketing, you can create consumer-driven content. This will help you ensure your content is relevant to your audience, consumed easily and conveniently, and broadcasted through proper channels. This will assist you with using content marketing as a powerful customer acquisition and retention tool. (Related article: The 5 Don’t Do’s with Content Marketing).
If you want help with your content strategy, please contact us for a complimentary meeting and we’ll see how we can help you get more qualified clients through content marketing or other digital marketing programs. If you want to gain comprehensive overview on digital marketing, attend our 1-day digital marketing training workshop.