Content Marketing: Welcome to the Time When User is King
This post is the first one of a series focusing on Content Marketing. But before defining what content marketing is and how it can benefit an online store, I would like to take a look at this trend within the current environment. A few years ago, the concept of the web 2.0 boomed, a twist on the concept of the Web where, regardless of technology in question, the user became the focus of attention. This was a really significant change which many people have not assumed yet, but which is more than real now. The user is no longer a mere spectator or reader, but a generator of contents, opinions, and above all, a decision maker regarding the contents consumed.
his has been a watershed, and this social transformation based on access to technology is also changing marketing and commercial processes. Users have “come out of the closet” and have learnt to make their own decisions. They no longer buy what we tell them to buy, but rather what they want to buy. Thus, continuing to communicate with them in the old way, treating them like cattle which we herd not only makes no sense but denotes a great lack of respect for the real value of any company: its customers and users.
Even though in many circles these comments which I am making are truisms, the harsh fact is that 99% of business, and particularly larger companies, continue to use old-school techniques, with awful commercial discourses, believing themselves to be the “big guns” and living off their past success. These companies have been saying for 10 years that the world have changed and tried to adapt to these changes, but they don’t realise that during this time the world has already changed 3 times and they are completely out of the loop.
The fact is not that now users are king and before they were not. Power was always in users’ hands, but we kept in the dark to such an extent that they did not believe that they had the power to make decisions. Luckily for us all, users have now realised about this change and are starting to demand their dues. No more contracts with abusive clauses. No more long-term contracts with utility operators. We demand quality and good prices, and we don’t accept being spammed with meaningless commercial communications.
Users are now first-rate decision makes who have all kinds of information available, and who don’t hesitate to find first-hand information on products or services which might be of interest through many channels. Nor do they hesitate to complain through Facebook, Twitter, or any other means about the bad quality of the product or service purchased. If we want to connect with our users, we must respect them and provide them with added value. Giving them accurate information and keeping them at the centre of our strategy.
If as a company you still believe in aggressive commercial techniques that try to deceive the user by means of brute force, false messages, and misleading advertising, your days our counted, so farewell. Welcome to the time where user is king.
[Originally posted in BrainSINS Blog]
