From Lange's point of view: No alternative to content strategy and content marketing

On the one hand, the terms "content marketing" and "content strategy" are part of the marketing furniture. On the other hand, they are still used quite arbitrarily. Even the question of why one or the other is needed is rarely answered in concrete terms. Here are four answers.

Why do companies need a content strategy?

Communication and marketing have two problems today. On the one hand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach target groups: The media world is becoming ever louder, ever faster, ever more aggressive. In addition, communication and marketing are taking place in more and more channels and formats: via the website, in social media, through press work, by email or via search engines. But new ones are constantly being added: moving images, voice, bots, influencers, native advertising and much more. Not everything is suitable for everyone, but a lot makes sense. Every measure always and necessarily contains "content", i.e. topics, ideas, messages, stories.

And for people to be interested in it at all, it has to offer a recognizable benefit: Entertainment, knowledge, practical guidance or convey meaning. Creating a content strategy means being aware of all relevant formats, content, processes and resources, scrutinizing current practice and then taking the appropriate measures to coordinate everything in the best possible and targeted way. Basically, a content strategy should be comprehensive, the more you can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of communication and marketing as a whole, especially if all areas work together as a "team". The term "content marketing" is used to refer to only a few measures or areas, i.e. only in one campaign or only in individual channels.

Why should you get to grips with content marketing and content strategy right now?

We are all in the middle of a major transformation process. The internet has been around for a very long time. But in the last three to five years at most, the complexity of marketing and communication has increased dramatically. And the first companies are beginning to be able to deal with this complexity. They can therefore deal with the current situation much better and thus gain a competitive advantage. Other companies tend to be paralyzed by the complexity: they withdraw into silos, become increasingly inefficient and ineffective, and often lose themselves in actionism.

Every "new shit" is tried out but not consistently introduced, people buy new tools and try out every suggestion. But that doesn't lead to sustainable improvement. You can only achieve this if you take a precise inventory, sort out your goals, resources, processes, channels and topics, and then work with everyone to develop a new system that meets the requirements of modern communication. Today, this is summarized under the terms "content strategy" and "content marketing".

What are the concerns and pain points when introducing a content marketing strategy?

There is a story about a man who meets a worker in the forest who is sawing wood with great effort. The man watches the worker for a while and then says: "Tell me, your saw is obviously totally blunt, it's not cutting through the wood at all! Would you like to take a break and sharpen the saw?" And the worker replies: "Yes, I know, but I have so much to do, I don't have time to sharpen the saw". My point is: there is no plausible reason not to do this. Except to hope that it works somehow.

This is basically exactly the same as the "digital transformation" in the industry. A lot has changed profoundly. However, many companies (and people) find it very difficult to change themselves. They are too attached to old habits - and far too busy. But it's not that difficult. Today, such changes are introduced "agilely", step by step, so to speak. The times when "strategies" were developed over months or even years are over.

What do companies need to professionalize content marketing?

I compare it somewhat to "losing weight" or "fitness". To live a sustainably healthy life, you have to eat differently - at least than most of us. And you have to exercise. Of course, you can also acquire this knowledge on your own, go jogging and eat more vegetables. If you do this professionally, you will first have a doctor examine you to determine your status quo, then get a trainer and define a targeted training program with him, and then go to a gym with good facilities.

Accordingly, when it comes to content strategy and content marketing, you need a consultant to help you make the right analysis and present the right therapy, then a coach to help you get practice with the new processes, and today you definitely need software support. You can't get to grips with the complexity with Excel and e-mail.