8 Essential Tips for Transitioning From Traditional Marketing to Content Marketing!

 

As the marketing landscape evolves, transitioning from traditional to content marketing can be a daunting task. To ease this transition, we’ve gathered eight insightful tips from professionals like Marketing Managers and Content Marketing Specialists. From enhancing skills and gathering inspiration to becoming a story weaver, these experts provide invaluable advice for your journey into content marketing.

 

• Enhance Skills and Gather Inspiration
• Start Small and Prioritize Quality
• Embrace Digital Tools and Creativity
• Understand the Fundamentals and Seek Mentorship
• Create Valuable, Relationship-Building Content
• Repurpose the Budget for Digital Exploration
• Provide Value and Understand Audience Needs
• Become a Story Weaver

 

Enhance Skills and Gather Inspiration

Transitioning from traditional marketing to content marketing requires knowledge in areas where you may not yet have experience. Training classes can increase your skill set, and a digital marketing certification can enhance your credibility. Your local community college is a great place to check for affordable options. 

 

Subscribing to email newsletters from credible experts in the field is recommended. The field is always evolving, so there is always more to learn.

 

Collecting examples of well-written and designed social media posts, websites, and emails can also be beneficial. While it’s important not to copy others, these examples can inspire your own future endeavors. Screenshots and other images can be organized and saved on Pinterest boards, or in any other convenient way.

 

Mandi Thacker, Marketing Manager

 

Start Small and Prioritize Quality

To hit the nail on the head, the best tip is to start small and focus on quality over quantity! For traditional marketing, it’s more about getting as many people as possible to see your ads or any promotional content. 

 

When starting out in content marketing, it’s best to focus on creating high-quality material that not only attracts your targeted audience but also allows for engagement. This will help you build a reputation and allow your audience to think of you as more of a thought leader within the industry, ‌garnering more quality leads. 

 

Though content marketing requires more time and effort when building a library of valuable content, it’s considered more effective and sustainable for further reach and engagement with your target.

 

Malak Saadi, Content Marketing Specialist, GuruDesk

 

Embrace Digital Tools and Creativity

Embrace the many digital tools available to you, but don’t lose sight of the importance of creativity. Start with a strategy. Great content is led by a detailed and goal-driven strategy. 

 

Don’t be afraid to infuse your content with creative expression. Often, the entertainment aspect of content marketing gets lost in the sale. But that’s truly what makes it great!

 

Ilia Jones, Marketing Strategist

 

Understand the Fundamentals and Seek Mentorship

When I made the switch from traditional marketing to content marketing, it was really important for me to delve into understanding the fundamentals of content marketing, specifically storytelling. 

 

With content marketing, you need to learn about different content formats and audience targeting, and the biggest skill set in the field is storytelling. 

 

Take advantage of online courses via LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and free resources on YouTube. I also found it useful to connect with local professionals. Finding a willing and knowledgeable mentor will help expedite the learning curve.

 

You also need to be patient and persistent. Some of your knowledge from traditional marketing will transfer over, and over time, you’ll get into a groove!

 

Lauren Kim, Brand Marketing Manager, OrthoFX

 

Create Valuable, Relationship-Building Content

Focus on creating valuable content that your target audience will find useful and informative. Traditional marketing is often focused on selling, but content marketing is focused on building relationships with your target audience. 

 

The best way to do this is to create content that provides value, such as blog posts, articles, infographics, and videos.

 

Mike B, Production Manager, SEO-Alien

 

Repurpose the Budget for Digital Exploration

For those looking to shift from traditional to content marketing, a useful tip is to repurpose your traditional marketing budget to explore digital avenues. Start with one channel. 

 

This focused approach allows you to understand the nuances of content marketing, measure effectiveness, and refine your strategy, ensuring a smoother transition and a foundation for expanding to multiple platforms.

 

Neil Hodgson Coyle, Content Marketing Manager, PRLab

 

Provide Value and Understand Audience Needs

The most important tip for someone transitioning from traditional marketing to content marketing is to focus on providing value to your audience.

 

In traditional marketing, the emphasis often lies in pushing products or services onto potential customers through various promotional tactics. However, content marketing takes a different approach. It’s about creating valuable and relevant content that addresses the needs, problems, and interests of your target audience.

 

To succeed in content marketing, prioritize understanding your audience’s pain points and desires. Tailor your content to meet their specific needs, educate them, entertain them, or inspire them. Content marketing is about building trust and credibility by demonstrating expertise and genuinely helping your audience.

 

By consistently delivering valuable content that resonates with your audience, you can establish a loyal following and ultimately drive engagement and conversions.

 

Bruno Gavino, Founder and CEO, CodeDesign

 

Become a Story Weaver

For those venturing from traditional marketing to content marketing, here’s a tip: Become a Story Weaver. Traditional marketing often emphasizes the product and its features, but content marketing thrives on stories. 

 

Dive into your brand’s essence, its values, customer testimonials, or even behind-the-scenes moments. Learn to craft narratives that engage and resonate, not just advertise. By interweaving stories into your content, you’ll capture attention, build deeper connections, and turn passive viewers into engaged followers. 

 

Transitioning isn’t just about adapting to new tools or platforms—it’s about embracing a new way of communicating. Grab that quill, and let your brand’s story unfold!

 

Vikrant Shaurya, CEO, Authors On Mission