If you do break this content marketing rule, your credibility will suffer
Providing great content is a major aspect of content marketing.
And since giving away this great content for free, often in substantial manners like reports or podcasts, is a main content marketing strategy, you must do it properly.
Audiences search for content because they have pressing problems that they want answered.
In content marketing, it’s important to build relationships through your content. This can only be done by providing great content that answers the questions your audience has.
If you mislead people with your content by claiming it provides answers when in fact it does nothing but promote your products or services, you are breaking the rules of content marketing and actively engaging in spamducation.
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Don’t provide the wrong experience
Spamducation is a term that Jonothan Stribling talked about years ago. I was reminded of it today when I received an email newsletter from Copyblogger that begged the question, “are you guilty of spamducation?”
Copyblogger defines spamducation as “a white paper, special report, video, podcast or manifesto that claims to solve a pressing reader problem, but is in fact a thinly disguised ad.”
I’m sure you’ve all experienced this type of misleading content…how does it make you feel? Personally, it frustrates me to get conned by companies promising great content and providing nothing more than self-serving ads.
When a company acts this way, I have no desire to associate with them going forward. I take my name of their email list and forget about their products. Other people take to social media and express their dissatisfaction with such an experience.
Avoid spamducation
If you want to build and retain an audience, provide great content. Put significant time and attention into researching, creating and editing free products before you release them. Make sure you are providing value within your content and nothing less. Doing so will help you avoid the dreaded label of spamducation.
How do you feel about companies that mislead audiences with their messages? How do you respond to these companies? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section below.
