Is content killing content marketing?

For years we have heard that “content is kingand companies around the world have been listening. The growth of social media has provided a platform for content distribution like never before, and companies are churning out articles, blogs, white papers, and other content at record rates.

So what is the problem?

Not too many years ago, content was produced by analysts, researchers, writers, and journalists who spent a lot of time developing well-written, thoughtful, and provocative material. This material was published for readers who had a deep and genuine interest in the subject matter.

Whether exploring new vendors and service offerings or researching competitors and market opportunities, consumers of this content can be reasonably sure that what they downloaded will be worth the price, and the price of their email address or contact information.

Not so much these days. Content production has become an end in itself.

For many content marketers, content is simply a sales pitch designed to capture email addresses (also known as leads). There is less concern about offering a quality product as long as the goal of building that email list is achieved.

The result is a lot of noise.

It’s getting harder to find quality content within the cacophony of the web.

People who are legitimately researching a topic must navigate through mountains of low-quality, bait-and-switch content to find some gems of information. Even then, statistics can be suspect and need to be verified across multiple sources (and not just those that blindly cite the same data or “facts”).

I’m not saying there isn’t great content out there. There is a lot of good content. The problem is finding it.

Other than paying high prices for analyst reports or subscribing to established media outlets, the average person doesn’t have much choice. Finding quality content can be a daunting task. Browse the web, find resources you trust, and spend more and more time filtering to find the needle in the haystack.

The wave of mediocrity sweeping the web will wipe out the intense demand for content that made content marketing so popular in the first place.

It’s like the kid who loves chocolate until he gets a chance to eat all his Halloween candy in one go. He soon discovers that getting too much of what he wants can be worse than not having enough.

Are you part of the problem?

As a marketing consultant, I often advise clients to post content as part of their thought leadership efforts. I tell them to write white papers and press releases that will attract links and SEO karma.

The difference is that what I suggest is to publish valuable glad. Items of interest that cannot be easily found elsewhere. If you don’t follow this advice and throw out materials at random without giving a second thought to the value they add, you could be part of the problem.

What should a content marketer do?

As you develop content for your business, be sure to add something of value to the universe of existing materials. Think about your audience and what they need.

What will your reader get for the time they spend with your content? Provide a unique perspective, some new ideas, or real data. Think about what information will help your audience to improve their situation, become more informed or better educated.

If you’re just regurgitating something you read elsewhere, Stop. Instead, use items you love as inspiration to offer your own unique twist or position.

Avoid contributing to the mess. Blind sharing can be dangerous to your reputation, as Jordan Kasteler points out in this post on Social Sharing and Personal Credibility.

Before you retweet, share, or repost content from other sources, please review it. Yes, that means taking the time to click on that link, read it, and think: Is it really good? Would you recommend it to a friend or client you met face to face? If not, expect better.

A little moderation in curating the content you share will not only slow down the spread of nonsense, but it will reflect positively on you as well. Choosing carefully what to share, whether you write it yourself or promote content from other sources, will establish your position as an intelligent thought leader, a “to go“A person who knows what is valuable and what is not.

What do you think? If you’re a marketer, especially one who uses content marketing in your own business, I bet you have your own thoughts on the subject of content overload. What is your position?