Content marketing has become a relevant marketing concept which in relatively short time acquired the “right of citizenship” in the communications industry. Content marketing is more than production of content. It has become a concept that connects production of content with understanding of the public and technology. Those who know what it’s about say that the role of Content Marketing is to build relationships and trust.

A little over ten years since it first appeared as a concept, Content Marketing still raises many dilemmas. We tried to learn what Content Marketing is and what role it plays in the communication process from three Content Marketing experts: Primož Inkert, Lazar Džamićand Borislav Miljanović.

Primož Inkert, PM poslovni mediji, Partner

A horseless carriage. That’s what people used to call the first cars. It was similar with television, which they used to call radio with picture. The Internet is so young that we still don’t even know its true name.

And this also applies to Content Marketing, which is less than a decade old as a term and a name, and therefore everyone understands it differently. Some – including myself – understand it as a revolution in contemporary communication, others see it as an article or a blog post, the third see it as an interpretation of the old advertising principles in a new way.

But what is an integral approach to content marketing and why is it so important?

There are numerous perspectives when we talk about the understanding of the term content marketing, and that is why we will simply skip its elaboration. To establish the context of understanding the integrity of content marketing, it suffices that we agree that content marketing is changing, evolving, becoming more comprehensive, includes more and more media and tools, and is capable of producing answers, ie. help in efficient communication with target groups across the consumer’s journey from an initial desire, or a problem they want to solve, to lasting cooperation or loyalty.

It is a strategy of what we want to say, to whom and in what ways, and about the extremely tactical plan on how we will realize it. Of course, with the help of media – owned or paid – with the help of internet and social media that can disseminate information and stories at the gigaspeed of internet (even faster than light), much faster than any other media in history.

When we look at content marketing as a whole (if we want to achieve results we must look at it that way), it’s not just about communication strategy and its realization, but also the transformation of the value and culture of the enterprise. It is the focus on truly helping our consumers, that we are completely focused on them (exceptions and problematic customers will always exist, but we do not focus solely on them).

Lazar Džamić, Creative Strategist

It’s a complex question, and I have written about it in detail in my book The Definitive Guide to Strategic Content Marketing. 

All the interviews I worked on for the book, and all of my experience points to the fact that Content (I do not use the ‘marketing’ part because it restricts it) doesn’t have a special role in communication because it works better than other methods in ALL stages of the communication cycle. In other words, Content – if it is done strategically and quality – is currently the best replacement for a variety of standards and currently declining communication models, such as online banners or traditional ads.

Content works at the beginning of the ‘funnel’ when consumers gain brand awareness, it works in the conversion phase, in CRM and in the consumer service. What’s currently missing, especially in our region, is the perspective of looking at Content this way. It’s not a sector, it’s not a team, it’s not a function, it’s philosophy, a culture and a worldview. This is the new frontier that awaits us in the world where attention is increasingly difficult to buy and must be earned more and more.

Bora Miljanović, Represent Communications system, CEO

For me, Content Marketing represents a communication practice, but also a philosophy. As a practice, it means making quality content with the goal of achieving certain goals for the communicator in the field of brand awareness, collecting leads or in concrete sales.

However, I see much greater importance of Content Marketing as a philosophy, which changes the approach and role of our entire communications industry. We don’t need to be those who annoy, who interrupt, those who bore people with irrelevant messages. We need to be advisors and friends of future and present users of our brands through quality, timely, and above all useful content. That is the new philosophy and the big change that Content Marketing brings to our industry and to our lives.