Quick question: In this day and age, why do so many marketers have a tough time identifying — and separating the identities between — content marketing and product marketing? Sure, they may sound alike, and sure, to the untrained professional, they appear to be two of the same things.
But in all seriousness, as individuals in the growing profession, let’s not make that mistake. Especially with digital marketing becoming more and more of the go-to method for B2B marketing companies.
It’s not necessarily a slap in the face to marketers for lumping content marketing and product marketing in the same category — because in all actuality, there are similarities with both fields. However, the more you know about what is done with each field, the more versatile you can become as a standout marketer — and that can help your brand grow and your business boom.
What is content marketing?
Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
With content marketing, your primary goal is to tap into what your consumers are about. Your target audience should have all the information needed — and that should be done by drawing in the audience with the assistance of search engine optimization, keyword optimization, a strong social media presence and, most important, genuine leadership for the good of the consumer.
When mastering content marketing, there’s a strategy that must be followed. Using proprietary data exclusive to your business makes for a great start. Your company must understand the inner workings of what makes your marketing as a whole tick — and from there, you’ve got to put together a formula that caters to the growth of your business.
What is product marketing?
According to an article on Drift, product marketing is defined as “the process of bringing a product to market and overseeing its overall success.” In product marketing, representatives are all about “driving demand and usage of the product, which often includes writing, positioning and messaging.”
In separating content marketing from product marketing, the literal move of defining and breaking down product marketing may be where the hang-up comes into play for some. Depending on the company, a product marketer can be focused on driving demand. At another company, positioning can be the sole responsibility.
In layman’s terms, a product marketer must have a true understanding of and sense for the customer. A well-thought launch plan can score big, as well as proper internal preparation.
Through a product marketer, everything must be properly positioned, and all necessary materials that will maintain old customers and attract new customers must be in place to assist marketing and sales teams. With product marketing, the foundation of a strategy can either make or break the entire objective.
While it may seem to some like content marketing and product marketing are oil and vinegar in its own proverbial bottle, understand that both are needed to produce a potent, successful marketing plan. Some marketing professionals would say that while content marketing puts the sale in front of a consumer, product marketing helps to close the sale.
The common denominator of both terms is “marketing,” and together, content marketing and product marketing can have magical results for your business. A successful content marketing strategy will address all of the challenges your customers face with the help your product. A successful product marketing strategy will provide methods for the consumer’s challenges — which should benefit from a solid content marketing plan.
It all works hand in hand. Content marketing and product marketing may be different, but if done correctly, it will be a team victory after landing new customers.
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