There was a time when writers would write, painters paint, and film makers would make films. They would then leave it to their fans, followers, readers or similar interested parties, and in some cases their advertising departments, to spread the word about their work of love.

All of us know those days are long gone. Today, all forms of content need to be marketed. Vigorously. You need to tell people.

Only when you beat the drums does the message spread in the jungle (hopefully).

My opening paragraph may not be entirely true. Marketing of content did exist even before the World Wide Web. But it was minuscule, and limited only to certain type of content. Today, NO content will survive without marketing.

This newsletter, of course, is not about marketing. But today, the way things stand, content is a two-step process; first, the development, then, its propagation.

As a creative person, you, perhaps, abhor the idea of marketing your content. But market forces will compel you to do so. Unless you are happy being a closet writer or artist.

I`ve read survey reports that talk of how many content developers today still do not go on to the next stage of the process - marketing. That`s why this newsletter. It may be a bit boot camp, but then, the message cannot be reinforced enough.

What does it mean - marketing your content? If I were to explain it in one sentence, it means using all means available to ensure your piece of content reaches its intended audience. For this, you will be helped along the way by various tools and platforms.

Like it or not, content has become a commodity. Like all other, you need to “sell” it. Aggressively.

One would have thought that with the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, marketing would have got easier. Paradoxically, it`s gotten worse. Because of staying in a connected world, ALL of us now have access to the same marketing tools in this “Me first” race.

In an ideal situation, the marketing of content can be best done by its developer. After all, who better understands that content than the writer/maker himself. But in the commercial world that may not be entirely possible.

Firms and enterprises may have a content marketer or entire teams in place. In such a scenario, the content provider and the content marketer must work in close contact.

Like it has become imperative for those who live on the Internet to know a little bit of HTML5 or PHP, content developers, too, must have rudimentary knowledge of marketing.

I am not going to talk about the actual marketing process, or provide marketing tips. But here`s an important point to note - content marketing differs vastly from other forms of marketing. For one thing, measuring RoI is a challenge, even today.

But here`s the first rule - identify your target audience. I`ve said this in the previous newsletters - mismatch between content and audience means it will die in the crib; content, that is.

You need to know who you are addressing.

The second step is staying power. You need to stay the course, half-hearted attempts will fetch poor results.

The third rung in the process is identifying the channels to reach your target audience. Social media, messaging apps, email, video?

I assure you, get these three steps right and half your work is done.

Hungry for more? Drop a note in the ‘Comments’ section.

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