When you first start digital marketing, you know little about users. You may have access to a customer list, customer survey information, or other forms of first-party data through which to draw insights. You may have access to third-party data about audiences you see as relevant, potentially viable customers. All the same, until your digital marketing program is up and running, you're just trying to make the best-educated guess you can to get in front of as many people as possible until you figure out who is more likely to progress to conversion ( Phase 2 ).

While we all wish we could get it absolutely right on the first shot, almost none of us will, and the important part about getting started is giving yourself room to experiment and learn what will work for your business and what will not.

Content marketing is about providing relevant messages and experiences for your audiences to discover and engage with. It aims to attract and retain specific audiences based on high quality, useful content that customers find meaningful at each phase of the sales process. The content can take many forms: video, blog posts, how-to guides, social posts, podcasts, e-books and more.

Content marketing can help you achieve measurable ROI by allowing you to:

• Reach new audiences who may not seek out your product independently via social sharing, content referrals, organic search results, and press syndication
• Teach your current customers how to use your product better and more often, and provide prospective customers with a sense of familiarity with your business even before they convert
• Make valuable connections with industry leaders and influencers
• Become known as a thought leader in your field
• Convert customers who are on-the-fence or searching for more information

Great content can help your brand stand out in a sea of undifferentiated search results and social posts. When executed well, it helps your brand rise above the noise and become known as an industry opinion leader. People will seek out your brand for your unique and trusted take on industry developments.

A lot of marketers make the mistake of not using organic media to tell their story. Many consider it to be more of a chore - something they have to check off - rather than a medium to tell your unique story that will help you stand out in an authentic way.

"Always and forever, our job is to tell our story. That is never going to change. The way you make real money, the way you make real impact…is by great storytelling" - Gary Vaynerchuk, Founder of VaynerMedia

Each organic channel has its own value and requires its own context. For example, Twitter is great for trending news and boosting brand awareness. It wouldn't be effective for selling high-end jewelry directly. Pinterest is excellent for retail brands as many Pinners use the network to curate wish lists and showcase purchase intent. Research the channel and determine if your audience spends time there and if its format will serve your goal well. Consider the psychology of each channel. What are users doing when they access each channel? Don't share the same message in the same way at the same time on each network.

Telling a story also requires a personality. Posting for the sake of posting does not generate results. The content can be exciting, funny, serious, or authoritative - as long as it represents your brand's unique voice and inspires meaningful responses.

You also need to actively engage with your audience - creating content is not a one-way street. Listen, ask, and answer. By establishing a strong relationship between your audience and your brand around the things they actually care about, you're establishing a long-term exchange of value and knowledge that gives your audience a consistent contribution to their social currency reserves.

Content marketing consists of engaging through many potential channels, including social media and your owned media presences. It comes down to being interesting, helpful, and relevant enough to earn people's attention and trust.