The terms “content marketing” and “digital marketing” get thrown around a lot in our industry. However, more experienced marketers understand that they’re not interchangeable. So, what’s the difference between them? My simplest explanation would be that digital marketing is an overarching term that refers to achieving sales and conversions online, while content marketing is a subset of the digital marketing that’s more focused on audience engagement through the creation of various types of content.

Let’s hash this out more.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing covers all the possible channels and platforms that a brand or business could use to market themselves online. These can include SEO, digital ads such PPC, PR efforts, social media marketing across the different platforms (including paid social media ads), affiliate marketing, and content marketing, just to name a few.

The main goal of any digital marketing effort is to get prospective customers past the search results page or landing page and get more conversions.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategy under digital marketing that’s meant to build consumer awareness through sharing content related to your products and services. There’s a strong focus on the creation of high-value content that’s intended to attract, engage, retain, inform, and ultimately, convert a specific audience.

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Content created for content marketing must provide value to your audience while also creating awareness about your business’s products and services. Content can include blogs, case studies, eBooks, emails, videos, infographics, web content, and white papers, just to name a few. Content marketing can also be used to build brand loyalty. It’s a way to build lasting and strong relationships between brands and customers, and facilitate information sharing and open communication.

Content and Digital Marketing Aren’t Mutually Exclusive

Keep in mind that content marketing is more than just content creation. It’s about creating real value for your audience through materials that are relevant, address pain points, and inform. In fact, according to statistics, customers are more likely to purchase from a business that tailors content specific to their needs and preferences. 

By following this formula, it’s easier for you to support your content marketing efforts with other digital marketing strategies that can help you achieve your overall marketing goals.

When it comes to content marketing and digital marketing, it’s not a matter of choosing one or the other. It’s a matter of knowing how to integrate content marketing with other marketing techniques to create a strong strategy for your business that boosts engagement, raises sales, and meets all your brand’s marketing goals.

For example, a blog you write can be optimized for search engines and be given additional exposure via search engine or social media ads. Using content marketing as part of your overall digital marketing strategy will take time, patience, and an in-depth understanding of digital marketing and content marketing specifically.

If you have any questions about how to best implement content marketing strategies and combine them with other aspects of digital marketing, head over to our Twitter or  LinkedIn and join the conversation. Or you can simply leave a comment below if you have any questions.