Content is King. No, Context is King. Which is it?

There's a debate raging in the blogosphere amongst marketers. On one side are the content advocates. They suggest content is king because the internet is driven by content. On the other side are the context advocates. They say content is nothing without perspective and purpose; therefore, context must be king. The debate is interesting, but it's meaningless. Both are essential.

Content is a given

Without context, your content is meaningless. Content without context litters the web. You come across it in your daily searches, where the heading looks interesting, but the results are anything but. The endless "top 10" lists are perfect examples of this weak content. Google Analytics has a measure for content without context: it's the Bounce Rate. A high bounce rate is a pretty good sign that the content needs context. Context is strategy. Does your content have a purpose? Is it intended for a specific audience? Does it bring value to that audience? Does it share a point of view or an interesting perspective? These are important questions. The more relevant your content is for a targeted audience, the better. That's what makes content sticky. That's what makes it relevant. That's what makes it interesting.

Context is your strategy

Without context, your content is meaningless. Content without context litters the web. You come across it in your daily searches, where the heading looks interesting, but the results are anything but. The endless "top 10" lists are perfect examples of this weak content. Google Analytics has a measure for content without context: it's the Bounce Rate. A high bounce rate is a pretty good sign that the content needs context. Context is strategy. Does your content have a purpose? Is it intended for a specific audience? Does it bring value to that audience? Does it share a point of view or an interesting perspective? These are important questions. The more relevant your content is for a targeted audience, the better. That's what makes content sticky. That's what makes it relevant. That's what makes it interesting.

Take the Challenge

I am a firm believer in content marketing. That's how you bring value to your market, engage it early and often, and become your customers' first call when they are ready to buy. But don't forget the context of your content. You won't be your customers' first call unless you engage them with something of value and get them to consider your company as a credible answer for their needs.