Content marketing is the second most important facet when it comes to marketing. If a business wants to grow, then content marketing is the no-brainer move.

When people think content marketing, they think social media marketing. While social media is a good channel for your marketing content, it isn’t the be all and end all and businesses hold it to such a high priority when it really shouldn’t be.

Social media has definitely changed the way businesses do content marketing, and the caliber of content creation has clearly reached a new tier. High-quality and professional looking content is just the standard for most businesses now on social media.

But here is the problem. Social media has completely got it wrong when it comes to content marketing and it is probably leading you on a marketing goose chase as a business.

A lot of social media marketing gurus will tell you about a brand's content and how what they are doing is amazing and how you need to implement it into your marketing by doing what that brand is doing.

The problem with this is that it creates an environment of trying to produce ‘good looking’ content and trend chasing.

This idea promotes everyone doing the same type of content and having the same visual style for the sake of ‘doing what works at the time’. A content model like this is just trend chasing giving your content/business no longevity and no brand uniqueness at all.

With this strategy, you are going to be subject to the algorithm of social media and gaining views that in the end means nothing. There are very few genuine connections that are being made and there is no reason for people to really care for your brand when the next business is doing the exact same thing as you.

Get It Right With Your Content Marketing

If everyone is doing it wrong, how do you do it right?

The answer is simple, do you.

Content marketing is the expression and communication of your brand. Your unique brand that expresses who you are, what you do and what you stand for. What you do with your content is based on your brand and the resources of your business.

To have effective content marketing, create a unique visual style that represents you. From your content, you should be able to tell it's you just by how it looks. Feel free to push your boundaries with your content and try something new, it's your brand after all, you can do whatever you want with it.

If you haven’t guessed already, the #1 most important facet is brand. Without it your business is just like everyone else's; and no one cares about the dime a dozen brand.

Take Brand Action

The best place to start with your brand is the foundation, your brand core:

Who you are?
What you do?
What you stand for?
What makes your different?

To simplify the rest of the brand process, create a unique feel to your brand and create elements that make you different. Attach yourself to an aesthetic that matches your brand and from there start creating content.

Be different. Don’t follow trends.

You got this ;)

Brand matters.