I’m not sure I understand the current debate over content marketing, or what it even is.

I’m pleased to report that as I consider content marketing, I’m also just beginning to realize its significant role in promoting brand content. That includes many digital services you know and love, as well as traditional companies.

But what is content marketing? Or how does one choose the right content for the right audience?

I used to be a content marketing skeptic, and recently, like many other content marketers, I embarked on a new adventure. And what I found is that as content marketing has evolved, so have the questions surrounding it.

Conversations

It wasn’t long ago that I was told that the best way to sell stuff is to make someone feel like it’s valuable and then teach them the tools to spread the word about it. Then, thanks to the advancements in social media, it’s possible to engage your audience in conversation in real time.

But since then, content marketing has grown exponentially. Bigtime. The question now is what is the best way to do this? Do we do it all the time with content that isn’t as engaging? Or should we leave the creation of content for others?

It seems to me that content marketing is also evolving. The division between content and communication has merged.

We have also found that within many of the daily interactions we have with people, there may very well be opportunities to build meaningful relationships, as well as sharing meaningful content.

We now create content that is part entertainment, part education, and part promotion of a broader platform and a wider conversation.

In short, it seems that content marketing has succeeded. At least in attracting attention from the appropriate audience and in building audiences for the people creating it.

You may get to use the words “content marketing” for longer than you expected.