Content vs. Conversation—Which Reigns Supreme?

There is an old adage in marketing that says, “content is king.”  What this means is that marketers need to develop relevant, timely and engaging content in order to keep consumers coming back to their website (or social media channel) time after time.  While this formula for success might have been true as recent as a few years ago, it is no longer enough. Nowadays, content is the cost of entry and we have moved on to conversation as the currency of the future.

This is not to say that content is now unimportant—in fact, the exact opposite is true. Content is more important than ever before, but it is no longer enough.  Marketers should seek to connect with consumers by creating content that echoes their larger content calendar. By weaving in content that is already appearing in other channels (advertising, promotions, in-store-displays, etc.) a company can reinforce its message and maintain consistency across its touch points. “Developing the content necessaryto drive social and other content marketing initiatives is just an extension ofthat marketing calendar. If you establish a cadence, say, of two new contentpieces per month, these can just get inserted into the calendar”.  It all starts with content, and then grows from there…

Once a company has created the framework for its content with the content calendar, it can then begin to focus on the crux of the issue: conversation.  Great content can only get a company so far—it is the ability to engage with consumers through conversation that really drives long-term brand loyalty and profitability. “Content without conversation isjust broadcasting, or just advertising.  It goes to thelistener/reader/viewer/visitor… and stops there.  If the sender is lucky,it may lodge as a piece of information in the receiver’s consciousness, andthey may act on it someday.  If the sender is luckier, or perhaps moreengaging, it may be something that the receiver wants to talk about.  Andthen the message gets a whole new burst of energy.  The energy behind themessage is what gives it meaning, and a life of its own.  That happensbecause we humans like to communicate with each other.  Thus the conversationbegins”.

A great real-world example of the “content vs. conversation” debate in action is Starbucks.  The coffee giant understands that rather than pushing content, it is more valuable to engage in conversation to drive sales, increase engagement, and gather new ideas.  Starbucks uses its social channels (especially Facebook and Twitter) as customer relationship management tools (CRM) to answer customer questions and furthering interaction.  Here is a screen cap of a conversation in action on Facebook:

Starbucks hosted a live coffee-tasting online and invited consumers to chime in with their comments on Facebook.  The company also launched its own social network—MyStarbucksIdea.com—to listen to consumers’ ideas and implement the ones with the most votes.  This vibrant online community has served as an excellent source for conversation and the company shows it is not only listening, but acting on consumers’ comments.  This in turn drives more conversation and increase the brand’s credibility and likeability.

Overall, the debate between content vs. conversation is one that will continue to persist.  Those who understand that content is no longer enough, and that conversation is what drives long-term engagement, are the ones who will come out on top.