Content Marketing’s Paperboy Comparison
The role social media plays in the progress of your content marketing is similar to that of the role of a paperboy.
Yes, it’s another article with a metaphor.
Your Website Is Your Primary Source
Your website represents your key platform of information and the main source of content. The role that the channels you use form the distribution of information where the link should predominantly come back to the primary source. This is where the full story is and role to engage with your audience.
This is similar to the job I had as a kid, when delivering newspapers on a freezing winter morning or where many of us can make an easier link from playing Paperboy on the Commodore 64 (or taking it a few years down the line, a Gameboy).
The Link With Playing (Or Being A) Paperboy
The bag where all the newspapers are packed tight within represents the principal source of information, the streets of houses either represents those who have subscribed to receive the newspapers or those who are to ignore. The movement from each house includes the preference of media consumption for each house.
Lets take a look at this in a content marketing context. Your main website where all information is located and measured is the base for all information. When we move into the realms of social media (including LinkedIn), this represents the distributor of short links that should always make reference back to the origin of the content . Social media should never be used as the primary source of information where key content is originated.
Social Media Fits The Context, Not Being The Main Message
More substantial material such as blog articles, video, ebooks and guides all form part of the main source, but whilst social media is integral to the success of content marketing it’s main aim is to fit into the context of the main message, as opposed to being the main message.
To sum up the metaphor, the bag of newspapers represents the main source of information (your website), the houses on the street receiving the newspapers on a regular basis are the people who follow you on the various social media platforms and the type of newspaper received is the platform that each person subscribes to. Have a look at the graphic at the top of this article that explains.
Whilst this may be a time for reflection to the days of playing Paperboy when the idea for Grand Theft Auto was in another world, sometimes taking things back to what we played for hours on end is still with us in a content marketing context.
