According to the Content Marketing Institute (which I would believe is a good reference for a definition of content marketing) “content marketing” is defined as:

The marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

There are a lot of good action verbs in that definition!
Here’s a list:
1) Attract
2) Acquire
3) Engage
4) Drive
5) Create

There’s an important one I believe that is left out.  That word is “INSPIRE.”

Content marketing is technically this blog.  It is my content that I provide you at no cost in hopes of helping you in your life and if you enjoy it enough, eventually getting you interested in purchasing a BOOK or the EFFICIENCY RECIPE.
Content marketing is used by just about every company in the world that has a web and social media presence.

But there’s something missing.  And my hope today is that you realize what content marketing is supposed to do, no matter the size or bandwidth of a company.

It needs to inspire!
Content Marketing should set your hair on fire. Click to Tweet!
It is something that you should read, watch, or hear that gets you ready to take on the world.
If you follow one of your favorite brands on Facebook often times the big brands fall victim to the notion that you’d like to see their TV ad on your Facebook Newsfeed.

Raise your hand if you want to watch a company’s TV ad on Facebook instead of talking to your friend who lives overseas on FB messenger.
(I hear the crickets.)
Content Marketing that inspires gets you talking about a brand or a company or a business.  It gets you perhaps even spreading or sharing their ideas.  When enough people feel inspired by one particular piece of content marketing and they all share it that’s when that magic buzzword “Viral” happens!

Not everyone of us is directly involved in creating content marketing.  But companies are having the conversations more and more with employees of all areas. When someone at your company starts thinking about what kind of content you guys will put out there, instead of letting them get by with “Holiday Greetings” (you know when Coke wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving), regurgitated articles on the industry you are in, or photos of a sunrise try putting out some ideas that will cause people to be inspired by your content and care about what you are doing.  When people become inspired and care about you that’s when you know you are doing something special.

Here’s a few examples of recent “Inspirational Content Marketing” that can truly evoke emotions out of people.
1) REI: They did a contest that let their fans vote in 10 hiking trails that needed repairs and then let them cast the money towards the 10 different trails up to $500k.  Each of the 10 trails received at least $18,000.00.
2) The Good Life Project: Jonathan Fields hosts an Adult Summer Camp, is a NY Times Best Selling Author, worldwide keynote speaker, and owner of a Yoga studio.  But his content marketing is a podcast called the “Good Life Project” and it interviews people that he believes are living a good life and they share how you can too.
3) Homage: A T-Shirt company out of Columbus that has a focus on throwback moments in sports and entertainment history they do a great job on Facebook and Instagram of posting those special moments in our history.  Reminding us of them and giving us a good laugh, or if you are a Cleveland Browns NFL fan, a good cry!
4) Ashtanga Columbus Yoga: They have created a hashtag #BringYourAssToClass and fun inspiring quotes on their Instagram page that have nothing to do with yoga.  

All four of these examples do not push or sell their product in their content marketing.  They set out to inspire you and give you something in return for being a “Fan” of their pages.  

Yet at the end of the day content marketing has everything to do with what kind of brand you are, how you want to be viewed, and what kind of impact you want to have on the world around you.
Inspirational Content Marketing gives you the chance to elevate what your company does and share a story few are willing to take the time and dedication to do.
The next time Content Marketing comes up in a brainstorm session…think how that content can drive value and engagement to your audience…but will also inspire them!

Thanks for reading this post, and glad you are here!
Do you have an organization or a group that needs to hire a speaker on a topic like this? Head to my speaking page for more info or email me at mike@MarketingFunWithMike.com.  I'd love to speak at your organization or conference.

If you want to keep on reading more marketing resources head to one of these past articles:

1) Internal Marketing
2) A New Marketing Strategy: Caring!
3) Selling Your Marketing

Spread Good Vibes, Demand the Best from Yourself, Carpe Diem!
Mike