The Internet Needs Your Information – Not Your “Content Marketing”

I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about the vast amount of data available to us today. We add new information constantly. Newspapers, journals, blogs, and magazines are publishing new material daily. Everyone has an opinion on everything.

So how can I tell you that the internet needs your information?

Content marketing is not just about informationWell, much of this so called “information” is actually just spam. I’ve heard estimates by SEOs that for every legitimate new website created, there are 60 spam websites created. That’s a crazy amount of spam!!!!! Furthermore, a large amount of the relevant information published online is put into reports and white papers where it will never been seen by the majority of the people it would impact. The information could be useful, but if it can’t be found, read, and processed, it won’t do benefitial to anyone.

When is the last time you searched for something specific? Maybe you looked fora great “how to” article or video. If it was something common, such as “how to make scrambled eggs” you probably got useful content. On the other hand, if you searched for something specific, such as “How to change the taillight on a 2005 VW Golf” you probably didn’t find as much useful information. Even if you did, you probably had to sort through a bunch of useless articles to find what you were looking for. Do you know how to do the more obscure tasks? Are you willing to share?

Content Marketing:
This idea is the foundation of content marketing. Content marketing is the idea that you can share your knowledge in order to help build trust with potential customers. By the time they are ready to buy your product, you already have such a solid relationship with them that they naturally think of you as a leader in your field.

The problem with the “rise of content marketing” means that (like most business trends), companies and individuals are trying to use this tactic as a get rich quick scheme. They think if they just put articles online that people will share them. When nobody shares their articles or connects with their brand, they don’t understand why.

Generosity:
Many content marketers begin sharing their content out of greed instead of generosity. There is nothing wrong with wooing new clients with content. But your goal should be to teach and inform your customers, not just generate additional revenues. The outcomes are the same, but the motives are very different. Although you may be able to fake a few customers, the public will eventually understand your motives if you’re entirely self-serving. If you’re looking for a get rich quick scheme, you won’t find it in content marketing. To create something new takes time and effort. It’s not enough to just write your opinions, you need to help others create value.

For Your Information:
The internet doesn’t need your get rich quick schemes, they don’t need more uneducated opinions. But what the internet does need are more people who are willing to be generous with their time and ability. It needs more people who are willing to share what they know with others. It needs people who share with the motive of benefitting others. Trolls are easy to find on the internet. It seems there are dozens of them in every forum imaginable. People who are really willing to share what they’ve learned are much harder to find. And who knows? Perhaps if you share, you may actually be able to monetize on your knowledge. Just make sure you’re adding real value to people’s lives before you decide to ask for money.

About the Author
Tyler Brooks
 is a SEO and video production specialist at Proof SEO.

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