The biggest problem in content marketing

It isn't content; it’s marketing. Prepare for 2024 and break the silos

Hello, 2024! Change is calling. We’re in a new, exciting, disruptive era. AI is blowing everyone’s mind, and it’s going to shake things up (finally!). Next to AI, there's also something else going on… content and marketing. One of them is causing a problem for the accountability of the other.

If we are ruffling any content and marketing feathers, let's do it right. Embrace AI and get content out of the marketing department.

And I hope we finally going to embrace the much-needed change in the content industry.

Over the last years, too much focus on the daily execution, campaign performance, and sales numbers.
Too little focus on the exciting overarching power of content.
And let's use content to its’ full potential, fueled by AI.

Currently, this is reflected in the teams, with so many juniors and mediors and so few true strategic seniors. Most Marketing Managers and CMOs rely on their agencies for the strategy part, yet those need to be briefed and managed (shit in, is shit out).

Read below how and what to get this sh*t done.

Why it matters

There is no need to explain that we're in a disruptive era; we’re just starting, and the options seem endless. It's time for the next step in content.

Next to applying AI, let's organize and use content as intended.

→ For brand building and storytelling to be followed up by conversion and performance to get the sale. The secret to making this happen is changing how we’re organized. In expensive words, ‘the organizational setup.'

Let's break the silos, at least for content.

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We all secretly know that content, with social as an extension, is the absolute fun playground; not any CMO wants to give up and hand it over to a CCO (Chief Content Officer).

Fleur Willemijn van Beinum

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Organizational setup, take content out of the marketing silo

This matters because of how we currently organize content; we’re leaving so much sh*t on the table, in budget efficiency, planning, processes, and time to market. I don’t even dare to mention the data stuff here... If you don't have your content well organized in place, forget about nailing it with AI. So, first thing first, take content out of the marketing silo.

Cutting corners here for clarity and highlighting the two things we can change quite easily

1. Content is based in Marketing, therefor by design, content follows marketing KPIs, marketing strategy, and planning. And usually, the marketing is focussed on well … marketing. And not on brand building and storytelling without conversion or performance objectives.

If you take content out of the marketing silo and give it its own silo with reporting lines to the board, it's immediately a big win as the KPIs will focus on the quality of the content, not the conversion or performance.

2. All silos need and produce content; it’s everywhere. Unfortunately, there’s no integration and co-production by design (yet).

Marketing for, well, marketing.
Corporate communications need content for corporate brand stuff, PR, and reputation management.
Sales piggyback on Marketing, yet they are an incredible source of help content (read: ‘They ask, you answer’).
Employer branding urges content for selling the brand and company to get new talent in.
And last but not least, Customer Care needs content to answer questions and concerns and should be involved in giving feedback on what customers think about all content created.

And your customer sees ‘the brand’ and doesn’t give a f*ck on what silo created which content with whatever objective.

Of course, we can change a lot more; I’ll stick to these as these are the basics. If you don’t have these set up, forget about the rest.

Give content a silo of its own

Change the organizational setup. Create a designated content department with the other silos as stakeholders.

The advantages:

Proper content strategy to contribute to business objectives, year-round brand building, and activation content, and becoming accountable.
Content team with the sole focus on creating the best content possible for the customer.
All-over storytelling. A solid content story everywhere, every time, consistent and recognizable. In the end, all content is aimed at contributing to the business.
AI experiments and knowledge sharing. Together, you know more.
One planning. With a nice side effect, this is worth gold in times of crisis if you have to act fast to adjust your communications.
Becoming accountable. By having its own place, you step away from the micro campaign reporting and can zoom out. How do the content efforts contribute to the all-over business numbers in the longer term? Are the overall sales rising?
Agency management. One place for all content means one overview of all suppliers.

Easier said than done

I do realize it’s a thing to re-organize and take the sexy content out of Marketing. We all secretly know that content, with social as an extension, is the absolute fun playground; not any CMO wants to give up and hand it over to a CCO (Chief Content Officer).

Yet, with the rise of AI the organization is going to be shake-up and worlds turned around. We don’t know the true power of AI yet; all we know it’s going to be exciting.

And we are more than ever in need of strategic guidance and solid planning.

Content and AI

Only if and when you have your content department in place, you can think about using AI to speed up, do the execution work for you, and measure results to be accountable.

If you still have content in the marketing silo, AI will be a tool, not the innovation it truly is, can, and should be.

Rationale: If you steer on KPIs based on conversion and performance, you'll apply AI accordingly in the execution process, like an intern, to speed up, cut most corners, and be more efficient.

The power of AI is being your wingman, not your sidekick or intern.

Summary: why marketing is the problem in content marketing

First of all, content is so much more than marketing. The magic is in the combination of softer, not really measurable brand building and storytelling, followed up by data-driven, hard-numbered, highly targeted conversion and performance content.

If you keep content in the marketing silo, you'll miss out on the softer brand-building and storytelling as that's not really measurable and doesn't contribute to the marketing KPIs, hence not of direct value for the CMO.

Last but not least, if you keep content in marketing, AI will be a tool and not the innovation it can be.

Need help?

I’m stoked about the future. And hope we finally going to embrace the much-needed change in the content industry.

Over the last years, too much focus on the daily execution, campaign performance, and sales numbers.
Too little focus on the exciting overarching power of content.
And let's use content to its’ full potential, fueled by AI.

I also realize Content Directors are expensive, and you don’t need them full-time, like 40 hours weekly. The good news, I have a solution for you. Let’s chat.

Drop me a DM to jump on a quick call.