The use of content marketing strategy tools in the Polish research institutes

Abstract

In the article were described issues associated with the use by scientific institutions content marketing strategy tools. This article shows the extent to which tools of modern marketing are used in the Internet communication by scientific institutions. Currently content marketing concept is accepted not only as a fashionable trend of modern marketing but above all, it is treated as an important tool to improve enough Internet message, to effectively interest to the users. A optimal selection and use content marketing tools it provides opportunities for enhancing efficiency in the reception (acceptance) of the generated message.

Full text

USE OF CONTENT MARKETING
STRATEGY TOOLS IN THE POLISH
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Open Access

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USE OF CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY TOOLS
IN THE POLISH RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Witold Świeczak, M.Sc. Eng.
Institute of Aviation, Poland
e-mail: witold.swieczak@ilot.edu.pl
DOI: 10.14611/minib.22.12.2016.14
In the article were described issues associated with the use by scientific institutions content marketing
strategy tools. This article shows the extent to which tools of modern marketing are used in the Internet
communication by scientific institutions. Currently content marketing concept is accepted not only as a
fashionable trend of modern marketing but above all, it is treated as an important tool to improve enough
Internet message, to effectively interest to the users. A optimal selection and use content marketing tools
it provides opportunities for enhancing efficiency in the reception (acceptance) of the generated message.
Summary
Keywords: content marketing, social media marketing, inbound marketing, content marketing tools,
marketing, minib

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Introduction
Content marketing is any marketing format that involves the creation
and sharing of media and publishing content in order to attract and retain
customers. The information can be presented in a variety of formats,
including news, video, white papers, e-books, infographics, case studies,
how-to guides, question and answer articles, photos, etc.
Advertising has long used content to disseminate information about a
brand and build a brand's reputation. In 1891, August Oetker sold small
packages of his baking powder to households with recipes printed. In 1911,
he started publishing his very successful cookbook. It went through major
updates over past 100 years. It is one of the most successful cookbooks,
globally reaching 19 million sold copies. All recipes originating from
Oetker's test kitchen and the book were carefully written as a textbook to
teach cooking from scratch. Oetker was perfectly aware of the need for good
marketing, practical communication, and he used his doctor title to lend
authority to his marketing.
In 1895, John Deere launched the magazine The Furrow, providing
information to farmers on how to become more profitable. The magazine,
considered the first custom publication, is still in circulation, reaching 1.5
million readers in 40 countries in 12 different languages.
In 1900, Michelin developed the "Michelin Guide", offering drivers
information on maintenance stations, accommodations, and other travel
tips. 35.000 copies were distributed for free in this first edition.
In 1904, Jell-O salesmen went door-to-door, distributing their cookbook
for free. Touting the dessert as a versatile food, the company saw its sales
rise to over $1 million by 1906.
The phrase content marketing was used as early as 1996, when John F.
Oppedahl led a roundtable for journalists at the American Society for
Newspaper Editors. In 1998, Jerrell Jimerson held the title of "director of
online and content marketing" at Netscape. In 1999, author Jeff Cannon
wrote: "In content marketing, content is created to provide consumers with
the information they seek."
Recently, the presence of content marketing has become more
distinctive, especially in terms of digital and online marketing. Seth Godin,

an American author and marketer, said in 2008: "content marketing is all
the marketing that's left."
By 2014, Forbes Magazine's website had written about the seven most
popular ways companies use content marketing. In it, the columnist points
out that by 2013, use of content marketing had jumped across corporations
from 60% a year or so to 93% as part of their overall marketing strategy.
Despite the fact that 70% of organizations and institutions are creating
more content, only 21% of marketers think they are successful at tracking
ROI.
Brands have always applied a sort of content marketing, but following
transformations in the digital landscape, this aspect has grown to an
unprecedented significance. In survey conducted by Econsultancy in
October 2012, 90% marketers said they believe that content marketing will
become more important over the next year, with only 38% stating that they
have a content marketing strategy.
Content marketing means organising, creating and distribution of
content with a view to enhance the contact to consumers and prospective
consumers. "Content" resulting from interaction of strategy, community
and creation is composed of assets and experience that — combined —
represent the history of the given brand.
Brand-generated digital content is a new development. In the beginning
of communication, content was disseminated in four channels: printed
media, TV, radio and data carriers. Digital carriers are different. Digital
content is able to reach out of the advertising category, stimulating
conversation and fostering data sharing and connecting to consumers in
a new way.
Content development includes its creation and curation. As
opposed to other forms of advertising, digital content helps brands
compare, on everyday basis, the behaviours of consumers creating and
sharing the content, whether brand-related or not. Such an
environment is a great chance for marketers to present the brand
personality and engage people, just like they engage themselves in
each other's affairs.
Today, marketers are bound not only to determine the type of
content to be created but also where the content is to be placed and
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how to have it viewed by appropriate audience. It is an exceptional
task, requiring close collaboration within the entire community
(focused on developing experiences appealing to specific audience) and
creation (focused on developing experiences implementing the brand
strategy).
Target audience and strategies of content marketing
Content marketing is equally important for local and global brands as
well as for brands operating in B2B and B2C segments. In the constantly
changing digital media landscape, consumers' role in curation, sharing
and independent publishing of content is becoming more and more
active. Digital content provides individuals with access to platforms for
content sharing, due to which the number of people classifying
themselves as conversationalists, creators and collectors (based on the
Forrester research) keeps on growing. Brands that understand how their
fans perceive content will be more capable of understanding the
mechanisms for developing connections and stimulating purchase
intention.
More than even before, consumers are both the greatest rivals of
marketers and their greatest allies in terms of content. For several
years, they have had access to tools for content development. Memes
created in minutes by consumers often have higher viewing rates
than big-budget commercials. Brands that are able to involve
consumers in creating or co-creating content on their behalf can be
most successful.
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Technographic data (Q2 2010 and Q2 2012)
Source: Own work based on: "A Global Update of Social Technographics", Forrester Research, 28.06.2010, "Global
Social Media Adoption", Forrester Research, 27.06.2012).
Consumers consume and derive the most of the content. According to the
Forrester research, only in 2012, the number of people perceiving
themselves as "collectors" has grown by 4% (other terms used are curators
or surfacers). Due to the fact that many people adopt the role of distributors
and that they do it with a strong impact on their environment, brands must
create content that can be shared and enables people to co-create.
The role of curation platforms for easy collecting and sharing of content
keeps on growing. They also have an emotional aspect because organised
collecting can be a method for building a collection of keepsakes. Platforms
like Tumblr or Buzzfeed become more and more popular. The intensity of
use of newly emerging platforms, including Pinterest and Fab.com, is also
growing at a rapid pace. Conversation, creation and collection are now the
main elements of on-line experience. Therefore, it is to be expected that
consumers will be interested in brands that understand such hybrid
behaviours. Websites do not only respond to change in behaviour, but also
stimulate change. Embedded elements of social media facilitate
engagement; discovery and customisation of content result in enriching
experience and prolonged use of the contact.
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KONWERSANCI
•
Aktualizuj„ status na stronie w me diach
spo‡ecznociowych
•
Umieszczaj„ posty w mediach
spo‡eczno,sciowych
KREATORZY
•
Publikuj„ lub aktualizuj„ blogi, strony
www
•
Umieszczaj„ w Internecie stworzone
przez siebie materia‡y audio, wideo
•
Pisz„ artyku‡y, opowiadania i publik uj„
je online
KOLEKCJON ERZY
•
U¿ywaj„ kana‡w RSS
•
G‡osuj„ na witryny online (np. Reddit)
•
Etykietuj„ , lajkuj„ , taguj„ strony ww w lub
zdjŒcia
CONVERSATIONALISTS
z
Update status on social networking
sites
z
Post updates on social networking sites
CREATORS
z
Publish or update blogs, webpages
z
Upload original audio/video
z
Write articles or stories and post them
COLLECTORS
z
Use RSS feeds
z
"Vote" for websites online
(e.g., Reddit)
z
Add tags to webpages or photos
Conversationalists
Creators
Collectors

A strong strategy in content marketing is based on both low- and big-
budget content, and includes well-considered status updates, simple photos
and GIFs, as well as web series and other forms of high-class content. This
is true for all communication channels.
Content development can be divided into two stages: creation and
curation. Creation refers to unique content produced by the brand. These
are the assets contributed by the brand owner to a broader social
conversation. Curation refers to elements of social culture that are seized
by the brand into its own history. These are pre-existing elements
appealing to the audience, the brand or both of them. Creation and curation
together form the basis for content development.
Notwithstanding the budget, content creation still remains an
important part of content marketing. Paying attention to content shared or
deemed interesting by the audience delivers insight that is helpful for
creating resources. Instead of investing a lot of money into a seemingly
random area, brands can test the interest within the community and
gradually adjust the content of the message, according to the following
content pyramid.
Figure 1. Content pyramid based on the example of the Daily Twist Oreo campaign
Source: Own work based on: http://www.oreo.com/dailytwist/
One of the official definitions of content marketing is the definition
formulated by Joe Pulizzi, the founder and CEO of the Content Marketing
Institute.
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Tweets
Status updates
Blog posts
Newsletter
Sounds
Modified images/memes
Quiz
Voting/survey
Video
Lists
Slideshow
Podcast
Short film/edited video
Magazine
Lecture
Infographics
Widget
Series of content
Event
Film
Webinar
White paper
Ebook
Transmedia
/AGR experience
Application
Game
SUPERHERO
HERO
MICRO BASE

In his words, content marketing is the marketing and business process
for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract,
acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience —
with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
A content marketing strategy can leverage all story channels (print,
online, in-person, mobile devices, social media, etc.) that can be employed
at any and all stages of the buying process, from attention-oriented
strategies to retention and loyalty strategies, and include multiple buying
groups.
Definitions of content marketing
Content marketing in various forms has been existing for many
years. Hence, there are numerous definitions of the term, owing to
the development of tools and technologies employed by content
marketing.
Table 1 shows a summary of content marketing definitions originating
from specialists applying this mechanism in practice.
Table 1. Definitions of content marketing
No. Author Definition
1Dan Bergeron Content marketing is a way of engaging and attracting existing and potential customers
Likeable Media through content creation. Content marketing is catering your slogans, campaigns,
tweets, Facebook posts and blogs to your target audience and existing customers;
simultaneously content marketing is personal, engaging and tells stories. When a
brand uses specific words or stories that resonate with a consumer, they can dig
deeper into who they are as a consumer. By utilizing content marketing, brands
can cater campaigns and stories around buying patterns and personalities. Rather
than broadcasting information to the masses, content marketing should focus more
on emotions and messages that are relevant and captivating to the target audience.
If so many brands seem to be regularly utilizing content marketing, how can you
tell what content marketing is? Content marketing is NOT price tags on tangible
items. Content marketing is much more subjective in nature. Marketing messages
and stories that stir beliefs, feelings, opinions or emotions can all be classified as
content marketing. The most important takeaway from content marketing is to
focus less on the cost and product details and focus more on the customer
experience.
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Cont.table 1
No. Author Definition
2Keith Blanchard Content marketing is the opposite of advertising. It's about engaging consumers with
Story Worldwide the stuff they really want, in a way that serves your brand's purposes and ideals,
rather than just trying to jam your logo into their periphery. It's reaching the exact
consumers you want, instead of a vaguely defined demo. It's helpfully providing an
experience they want, instead of trying to distract them from the one they came for.
In short, it is the very evolution of advertising itself into something more effective,
more efficient, and much less odious.
3Dan Blank Content marketing is engaging with your community around an idea instead of
We Grow Media a product. What it is to try to serve the community first, and sharing information, ideas
and experiences that benefit others without directly asking for anything in return. What
it isn't is just a veil in front of a sales pitch.
4C.C. Chapman Content marketing is anything a company creates and shares to tell their story.
DigitalDads.com It is conversational, human and doesn't try to constantly sell to you. It also isn't a tactic
that you can just turn on and off and hope that will be successful. It has to be a mindset
that is embraced and encouraged. You've got to start thinking like a publisher and use
that to plan and execute your entire marketing plan which content of any variety should
be a part of.
5Heidi Cohen Content marketing provides consumers with useful information to aid purchase
Riverside decisions, improve product usage and entertain them while achieving organizational
Marketing goals without being overtly promotional. The main attributes of content
Strategies marketing are:
1. Embodies an organization's core brand elements.
2. Uses a variety of media formats such as text, video, photographs, audio, presentations,
ebooks and infographics to tell your brand or company's story.
3. Can be consumed on a variety of devices including computers, tablets, smartphones
and others.
4. Is distributed via owned, third party and social media platforms.
5. Provides measurable results through the use of calls-to-action and promotional
codes.
6Sam Decker Content marketing is creating or curating non-product content — be it informational,
Spredfast educational, entertaining, etc. — and publishing it to contact points with customers to get
their attention, to focus on the topic around your solution, and pull them closer to
learning more about you.
7Jason Falls Content marketing is using any type of content (newsletters, blog posts, white papers,
Social Media videos, Tweets, podcasts, wall posts) to attract an audience you wish to market to.
Explorer Capturing their attention through great content gives you the opportunity to present
calls-to-action to them to purchase or try your product or service.
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Cont.table 1
No. Author Definition
8Lisa Gerber Blogging, micro-blogging, and social networking sites have leveled the playing
Spin Sucks field in the publishing world, giving every average Joe the ability to build a platform and
thus, an audience. With content marketing, you can take advantage of these tools to
create articles, blog posts, microblogs, videos, podcasts, webinars, and more to establish
thought leadership and build a relationship with your prospects and customers. The
content, optimized and distributed across the web, makes it easier to be found online. It
generates traffic without selling. By delivering useful and relevant information
answering questions, solving problems and improving lives in some fashion, prospects
can make an informed decision to buy. The idea is they will buy from you, because you
have earned their trust.
9Barry Graubart Content marketing is an approach by which companies seek to author and/or share
Content Matters contextually relevant content to create or reinforce their brand messaging. When done
effectively, content marketing is not done in direct support of a sales process, but rather
by positioning a company or individual within a space.
10 Susan Gunelius Content marketing is the process of indirectly and directly promoting a business
KeySplash or brand through value-added text, video, or audio content both online and offline.
Creative It can come in long-form (such as blogs, articles, ebooks, and so on), short-form (such as
Twitter updates, Facebook updates, images, and so on), or conversational-form (for
example, sharing great content via Twitter or participating in an active discussion via
blog comments or through an online forum).
11 Ann Handley What it is: content marketing is anything an individual or an organization creates
MarketingProfs and/or shares to tell their story. What it isn't: A warmed-over press release served as a
blog post.
12 Anne Holland Content marketing is the practice of using content (webinars, white papers, planted
Which Test Won articles, blogs, Tweets, videos, etc) with some intrinsic value beyond pure advertising
content, as a way of establishing thought leadership, branding, and growing and
influencing reader list of prospects for your goods or services. Content marketing has
always existed. In the publishing world, content used for marketing purposes used to be
referred to (until very recently) as "advertorial". The problem now for both professional
publishers and the public, is to discern between content published for marketing and
content published as an end product in and of itself without marketing messaging ties.
Advertorial has taken over to the extent that many consumers believe all editorial is
advertorial.
13 Kelly Content marketing is the opportunity for brands to think beyond their own
Hungerford original content and messaging to include a mix of original and curated content to
Paper.li reinforce their position with consumers as the "go to" brand. From the smallest "brand
me" to industry giants, organizations of all sizes can benefit from content marketing.
Marketing through curated content reduces time and costs, increases visibility and
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reach, and quickly and effectively establishes thought leadership. It is not enough though
to set the workflow to auto pilot and populate the pages of a site with aggregated feeds.
A winning strategy succeeds when technology and people work together. Automation and
semantics can help to filter, facilitate and uncover hidden treasures, but it is the human
touch — thoughtful selection and consideration of content — that will create a truly new
and engaging brand experience for audiences to discover, enjoy and share.
14 Rebecca Lieb Have you ever picked up a company's brochure or flyer? Watched an infomercial or a
shopping channel on television? Ordered a product DVD explaining the benefits of a new
mattress or a vacation destination? Leafed through a company newsletter? Read the little
comic strip in a packet of Bazooka bubble gum? All these are a few (but by no means an
exhaustive list) of the ways companies use content to market their products and services
to customers and to prospective buyers. Content marketing, in other words, is nothing
new. Companies having been creating and distributing content for many years, both to
attract new business and to retain existing customers. However, here's the point of
differentiation from more traditional forms of marketing and advertising: Using content
to sell isn't selling, or sales-ey. It isn't advertising. It isn't push marketing, in which
messages are sprayed out at groups of consumers. Rather, it's a pull strategy-it's the
marketing of attraction. It's being there when consumers need you and seek you out with
relevant, educational, helpful, compelling, engaging, and sometimes entertaining
information.
15 Lee Odden Simple definition: Content marketing is the alignment of customer needs with
Online Marketing business goals through purposeful content. Elaboration: Content marketing is an
Blog intentional approach to attracting, engaging and inspiring customers to a logical
conclusion to buy and share through content that empathizes with the varied interests
and behaviors during the buying cycle.
16 David Meerman You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR).
Scott You can bug one at a time to get attention (sales) or you can own attention by
creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free: a
YouTube video, a blog, a research report, photos, an infographic, a Twitter stream,
an ebook, a Facebook page. And that will be content marketing.
17 Jim Siegel Content marketing is:
HealthCare 1. Creative knowledge sharing — using content across multiple platforms to reach
Chaplaincy various audiences — with the objective to influence thought and/or drive
behavior.
2. Sharing content that is relevant and value to our diverse constituents to help generate
dialogue and grow our base of support.
3. Asks us to divine professional interests, immediate need and future skill sets and
then fulfill with content.
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Cont.table 1
No. Author Definition

Cont.table 1
No. Author Definition
18 Anna Maria Virzi Content marketing encompasses a wide assortment of marketing approaches that
ClickZ have been around for years. It's just that content marketer is getting far more
interactive and is emerging on new platforms and channels. Traditional approaches
include custom publishing supplements and advertorials in newspapers and
magazines. Online in the B2B sector, white papers have been successfully used for
lead generation for more than a decade. Brands have more options than ever before.
With the ascent of social networks and mobile devices, brands can bypass
newspapers, magazines, and TV to connect directly with customers and prospects on
Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and other networks. What's more, brands can elect
to continue working with "traditional" media companies to tap their audiences
online and other venues. Media organizations have responded, too, by acquiring or
building out their content marketing teams. So who is a publisher today? Who is a
marketer? Content marketing marries publishing/TV/radio/events — and marketing
— to build audiences, deliver relevant and educational "content" and information
such as a white paper, webcast, video, or article, potentially turning fans, followers,
readers, and viewers, into customers.
19 Dr William J. Content marketing is the strategic creation and sharing of ideas, information,
Ward and resources. Content marketing is not clicks, Retweets, Likes. These are only measures
S.I. Newhouse to see if the content marketing is "on strategy."
School of Public
Communications,
Uniwersytet
w Syracuse
20 Bryan Haines Content marketing is publicly and freely sharing information about your business and
industry. It can include text (blogs, ebooks, press releases and tweets), video, audio and
online events.
21 Brian Clark Content marketing means creating and sharing valuable free content to attract and
Copyblogger convert prospects into customers, and customers into repeat buyers. The type of
content you share is closely related to what you sell; in other words, you're
educating people so that they know, like, and trust you enough to do business with
you.
22 Dan Blumenthal Content marketing is what web searchers are looking for.
Blumenthal
Design Group
23 Rebecca Steurer Content marketing is beyond building awareness. It is a method that provides an
Manifest Digital opportunity for businesses to inform, engage and build relationships with consumers by
providing information that consumers want, and giving consumers the opportunity to
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provide their thoughts and feedback. Today's consumer is more informed than ever. They
are constantly looking for useful information to help them make educated decisions
regarding which services and products to buy. A content marketing strategy can be
created to provide the information for which they are searching.
24 Andi Vance Content marketing, at the most fundamental level, means publishing of content
Mulberry indirectly supporting sales and turning the organization's spokespeople into idea leaders
Marketing in the given industry. Your goal is to educate target audience about the industry and
Communications important differentiators so that they make informed purchasing decisions — and
ultimately, buy your product. The idea is to have the audience perceiving you as an
expert and becoming loyal in return, as a result of regularly provided, helpful and
informative content.
25 Jennifer Wong Content marketing is a marketing strategy of creating and syndicating relevant and
Optify valuable information with the main objective of attracting and engaging a specific target
audience. It's a way of communicating with your prospects and customers in a non-
intrusive way because yo aren't directly pitching your product or services;rather you're
delivering value so that buyers can make a more informed purchase decision.
26 Jason Brewer A content marketingu strategy uses basic information about customers for developing
Brolik Productions attractive content that is consistent with their interests and naturally applies it in
the organization's marketing. It is a scenario that is based more on giving and
receiving, whereas traditional selling can be viewed as forced and hardly
sophisticated.
Content marketing tools
Content marketing is based on developing long-term relationships
through interaction and engagement of both parties, meaning those
promoting their content and their audience likewise. This is supported by
a major range of tools and techniques that are helpful for creating and
distributing content so that they deliver optimal benefits for the
organization.
The article includes the most frequently used tools of content
marketing.
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Cont.table 1
No. Author Definition

Social media
Social media as such are not a typical tools as understood by the
content marketing strategy, rather functioning as one of the constituents
of a greater strategy. They represent a tool for efficient, two-way content
distribution. An important feature of social media is building of relations,
dialogue with users through encouraging communication. In social media,
users are not encouraged to perform specific acts, such as purchasing
a product or subscribing to e-mailing lists. They are encouraged to share
their experiences. Social dialogue takes place at Facebook, Twitter or
LinkedIn, YouTube or various fora.
Blog
The first term describing the tool known nowadays as blog, the "weblog"
(a combination of "web" and "log"), was coined by John Barger, an employee at
Northwestern University's Institute for the Learning Sciences. He was the creator
of "Robot Wisdom," one of the first interactive journals. He used the "weblog" term
for the first time in 1997. Two years later, Peter Merholz used the term "blog," who
broke the word "weblog" coined by Barger into the phrase "we blog."
A blog is a website consisting of separate text entries, typically displayed
in reverse chronological order so that the most recent posts appear first.
Typically, entries in blogs can be archived, categorized and tagges, and
commented by readers of the given online journal. Blogs in general as
a communication medium are called the blogosphere.
In the beginning, weblogs were perceived as equal with personal
websites, called personal homepages . Today, this approach is no longer
valid, but still, the content of a blog is of personal nature, with prevailing
first-person narrative, and facts are interrelated with the author's opinions.
Weblogs can be categorized in a number of types, depending on selection
criteria:
z
Based on nature and content:
– Personal blogs, having the form of online diaries,
– Expert blogs,
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z
Based on number of authors:
– Individual blogs,
– Collaborative blogs written by several authors,
z
Based on type of content:
– Text blog (news, guides, diaries, books);
– Videoblog (or vlog) featuring videos;
– Photoblog featuring photos;
– Audioblog featuring audio recordings (e.g., podcasts);
– Linklog with links to other websites;
z
Based on device used for blogging:
– Traditional blog, edited on a PC;
– Moblog, written from mobile devices, such as mobile phones,
smartphones, tablets,
z
Based on frequency of entries and comments:
– Dynamic blog — a blog with entries posted at least once a day, with
a considerable number of comments;
– Non-dynamic blog.
Blogs can be also classified according to other criteria, such as:
z
Administrator,
z
Purpose and motivation,
z
Availability,
z
Frequency of posting new content,
z
Location.
A different typology was offered by Cindy Curling, who identified four
"blog flavours" in her article :
z
The researcher's list of annotated resources — blogs with a list of found
and commented sources and content,
z
The extremely succinct pointer site — blogs with very concise indications,
including reference to interesting sources, can be considered as the
original form of microblogs,
z
Annotated journal — blogs of commenting nature,
z
Personal diary — personal online diaries.
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Corporation and research institutes use mainly expert and corporate
(business) blogs.
Expert blogs cover one specific subject. A blog can be classified as an
expert one when its content can be used for professional or research
purposes, when it extends the readers' knowledge and solves problems. As
a rule, expert blogs are written by individuals being experts in the given
industry.
Corporate (business) blogs are edited directly or indirectly for profit of
a specific organization that defines the goals and strategies of this activity.
The objectives of creating and developing corporate blogs include, but
are not limited to:
1. Creating groups of customers acting as the brand's ambassadors,
2. Building trust in the organization,
3. Creating the organization's image,
4. Gaining and sharing knowledge,
5. Receiving opinions,
6. Developing new development opportunities for the market and new
markets,
7. Acting as intermediary in communication with journalists and opinion-
making groups,
8. Quick response to situations of crisis,
9. Boosting sales of products or services .
According to Grzegorz Mazurek, under consideration of the functions
performed by corporate blogs, they can be categorized as:
z
Sales blogs — the basic objectives for sales blogs are to "generate traffic
in the blog and its related product page and to generate greater sales,
preferably through online acquisition of customers. (…) This blog type
plays a great role in shaping the loyalty of customers."
z
Image-building blogs — their basic purpose is to build the image of the
organization or its specific products.
z
Blogs related with customer service — developed in order to provide
customers with information they purchase and/or to evaluate their
satisfaction with the purchase
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Figure 2. Typology of blogs, Classification based on content
Source: Own work.
E-newsletter
E-newsletter is an electronic publication that is regularly distributedvia
e-mail or mobile devices. Its specific features are: the recipient's consent for
the receipt of messages and content closely related with the recipient's
interests. E-newsletters are typically distributed once a month or once
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entertainment
corporate blogs
politicians' blogs
journalist blogs
personal
and family blogs
info-blogs focused on
sensation and gossips
art blogs
entertainment blogs
expert blogs
info-blogs
knowledge
subjective objective

a week. They are available in electronic forms, via websites. They can
include complete articles or brief descriptions with reference links to the
relevant content (e.g., text, video, podcast, photo).
White paper
One of the oldest tools of content marketing. White papers are reports
covering current issues. Developed by a government, institution or
organization, containing analysis of the given product, service, technology
or programme. Present issues that need more thoroughexplanations and
descriptions. These include conference papers, research reports and
technical descriptions. Typically, they consist of 8–12 pages. Used for
demonstrating the publishing institution's leadership of thought, idea,
expertise in a subject.
Since early nineties, the "white paper" term has been used to
describe documents constituting marketing and sales tools in the
business. As a marketing tool, white papers present selected facts and
logical arguments for building advantage of the publishing
institution. In business-to-business marketing, they are employed for
generating sales leads, building leadership of thought, informing and
persuading prospective customers, partners, journalists, analysts or
investors.
According to Graham Gordon, there are basically three main types of
business white papers:
z
Backgrounder — describing the technical and business advantages
offered by the institution; used typically when introducing a new
product or service to the market,
z
Numbered list — presenting advice, questions or points concerning
a specific business issue; typically used in order to attract attention to
new or provocative views, or influence perception through distributing
negative and questionable or false information,
z
Problem-solution — recommending a new, improved solution to
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a business problem; used in communication with prospective customers
near the top of the sales funnel, or for informing and persuading
stakeholders .
Expert article
Expert articles are written by experts with authority in the given
area, presenting informative and how-to content. The articles are
helpful for strengthening awareness of organizations that are not
easily presented with classic advertising. An expert article, depending
on its subject matter, can be a source presenting the scope of an
organization's business activity or its offer. In social perception, expert
articles are considered as more reliable and unbiased than sponsored
articles.
E-book
A type of report, typically consisting of 12 to 40 pages (sometimes more),
presenting complex information in a visually attractive form, in a reader-
friendly format. The content is both educating and amusing, the form is
collegial, the format is "massive" instead of linear, in order to facilitate
viewing and copying.
Case study
Case study is a method of research published in form of a document,
typically consisting of one or two pages, or a video where the exploration
is focused on a single entity. It is based on presentation of a real problem
of the organization and its solving with the use of a specific product or
service.
A correctly developed case study is a very good tool for promoting the
reliability of the organization, its products and services.
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Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation constitute a frequently forgotten,
underestimated form of business promotion. And exactly when the opinion
originates directly from a satisfied customer, it becomes reliable, helps
overcome sceptic attitude and hesitation of other prospects.
Webinar
A type of online seminar conducted with the Webcast technology. With
this training format, the trainer can build relationship to trainees with the
use of virtual tools. Webinars make it possible for stakeholders in various
regions worldwide to interact with the trainer through discussions or asking
questions in real time.
Video publishing
Posting video content allows for reaching audience in a considerable
quicker and easier way. It triggers specific emotions, boosts engagement of
the audience. This is quite important nowadays, when network users
become less interested in content presentation in text form. The use of this
tool requires ongoing generating of content and brand visibility.
A significant growth has been noted in terms of importance of this channel
of content distribution.
Online press release
A press release is a written or recorded message for the media in
general, the purpose of which is to achieve quicker and more extensive
distribution of information.
Sponsored article
A form of advertising referring to specific products or services,
sponsored by its publisher. When creating a sponsored article, several
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aspects should be considered, in particular choice of the language of
communication for the audience, and the characteristics of the text should
be adapted to the place of publication. The communication should also be
attractive for the audience. Content published in a sponsored article
includes typically research reports, interviews with experts in the given
area, blog posts or how-to articles.
Printed newsletter
Typically, a double-sided sheet or 16-pages' document in form of
a newsletter presenting attractive content for quick communication.
Digital magazine
A kind of hybrid, presenting a traditional form of a magazine in an
electronic format, usually PDF. A type of a digital magazine that offers
independent, visually attractive content, which can be edited without any
special software. The individual issues are typically distributed via e-mail
and corporate websites.
E-learning
Precisely planned delivery of educational content via computer
networks and the Internet, including media in form of audio podcasts,
video, slide shows, seminars, and so on.
Mobile applications
A kind of software operated on mobile devices, such as smartphone or
other mobile device. Applications referred to as "apps," distributed by the
Apple corporation, are typically available from the distribution platforms:
AppStore, BlackBerry App World, GooglePlay, Windows Phone Store. The
basic objective of application development is to attract an optimal number of
users and engage a target group.
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Teleseminar
A teleseminar is a virtual presentation, reduced to the necessary
minimum. The only required technology is a phone. Depending on the type
of content, users can receive an outline of the seminar or a group of slides
from the specific presentation, in advance via phone.
Podcast
A form of "spoken" guide, an online audio or video publication, guiding
the user within the selected area. Podcasts are usually distributed via RSS
or iTunes. In general, podcasts are files of 5–30 minutes, however, also
longer files become more and more popular.
Executive Roundtable
Executive Roundtable is a meeting of executives of the given
industry, attended by experts in the given area, with a potential
sufficient for specifying perspectives for development. Through short
presentations and exchange of experience among the participants, every
attendee of the "roundtable" can appear as a thought leader in the given
area.
Audiobook
Audio record containing the text of a published book, distributed on
CDs, or downloadable online in form of MP3 or M4B files. A great way for
brands for sponsoring this form of content delivery, and in consequence,
attracting users' attention.
Virtual trade fairs
Nowadays, high-speed data transmission technologies make it possible
to create realistic events in form of "shops" and "exhibition zones."
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Managers of event projects, based on the available online technologies, can
create virtual trade fairs for attracting prospective customers, increasing
the number of participants at events, increasing income and improving
communication with customers and prospects.
Comic
Comic is more than sequential image story for children. Supporting text
with dynamic image through comic, we communicate with readers of any
age in an enjoyable, easy-to-remember and quick manner.
Road show
Road shows constitute a kind of mini-conferences or trips conducted
by organizations, the objective of which is to physically present the
products. Road shows are typically organized in cities with a high
concentration of prospects. The tool combines activities of advertising,
public relations, sometimes direct marketing and sponsoring.
Brand content application
Application for collecting any information about customers and
prospects, as well as developing analyses, statements and reports on the
basis of the data acquired.
Infographics
Infographics means visual presentation of information or data,
presented in the form of a chart or any other illustration. However, the
strength of infographics goes beyond its instant reference to the visual
form; other than in the case of regular communication, infographics can
show relations among dispersed pieces of information, thus delivering
knowledge and not only raw data. Infographics can be a method for
building brand awareness and an effective educational or informative
tool. The effectiveness of infographics results from the fact that human
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brain reacts much quicker to visual stimuli because images are
processed much quicker than regular text.
Online survey
One of methods for researching consumer moods, where information
from customers and prospects is acquired through a standardized
questionnaire published at the website.
Discussion forum
A kind of open discussion online, where customers and prospects
exchange opinions about products or services.
Use of content marketing strategy tools
by research institutes
The study was conducted from the perspective of a user and not
a surveyor. With this approach, it was possible to analyse the functioning and
readability of websites as well as accessibility of published content for
surveyed entities. The evaluation covered 36 research institutes reporting to
and supervised by the Minister of Development (figure 3). The group of tools
includes 26 instruments characterises in the previous part of this publication.
As shown in chart 1, less than a half (12 tools) are used by the surveyed
instituted, 2/3 of which use only one or two instruments of content
marketing. The largest number of tools are used by Instytut Logistyki
i Magazynowania in Poznań (10 tools) in their activities focused on content
publication.
Moreover, the survey covered social community websites administered by
research institutes (figure 5). The study has shown that 75% (27 institutes)
of the entities communicate via one or two social community sites (more than
a half of which reach network users through only one social community site).
Three research institutes use three social community sites, and the greatest
number — five sites — are administered by Instytut Lotnictwa. Other
institutes do not interact with users via social community sites.
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Figure 3. Content marketing tools used by research institutes
Source: Own work.
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Figure 4. Number of content marketing tools used by research institutes
Source: Own work.
Figure 5. Communication of research institutes in social media sites
Source: Own work.
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Figure 6. Social media sites used most frequently by the research institutes
Source: Own work.
Summary
The survey has been helpful for illustrating the condition of content
marketing strategies in research institutes. Based on the example of the
selected group of research institutes in the industrial sector, it can be
found that numerous entities are reluctant, or maybe even distrustful,
about the philosophy related with the concept of content marketing.
Based on the example of 26 instrument constituting individual
components of a broad range of tools, it is obvious how powerful the
strategy is, how many various possibilities and forms of expression it
delivers. However, as the results of the study have shown, a considerable
part of the institutes still do not see any need to adapt the new methods,
with their activities based only on the traditional, not necessarily
effective marketing models.
As show in this paper, many entities are still not ready for implementing
new marketing models with innovative solutions, the advantage of which is
that they can contribute to boosting the organization's competitiveness,
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and as a "disadvantage," they can offer a vast spectre of possibilities. Every
organization should be aware of the fact that generating and publishing
high-quality content allows for distinguishing themselves from the
competition and attracting interest and engagement of prospects. Choice of
appropriate instruments embedded in the content marketing strategy is
important, but the core ambition of every organization should be to
effectively communicate with customers, because this is the determinant of
success of a content marketing strategy.
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Schedule 1. Research institutes reporting to the Ministry of Development
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COBR Maszyn Włókienniczych „Polmatex-Cenaro”
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COBRO — Instytut Badawczy Opakowań w Warszawie
z
Instytut Badań Rynku, Konsumpcji i Koniunktur
z
Instytut Biopolimerów i Włókien Chemicznych
z
Instytut Biotechnologii i Antybiotyków
z
Instytut Ceramiki i Materiałów Budowlanych
z
Instytut Chemii Przemysłowej im. prof. Ignacego Mościckiego
z
Instytut Ciężkiej Syntezy Organicznej „Blachownia”
z
Instytut Elektrotechniki
z
Instytut Farmaceutyczny
z
Instytut Inżynierii Materiałów Polimerowych i Barwników
z
Instytut Logistyki i Magazynowania
z
Instytut Lotnictwa
z
Instytut Mechaniki Precyzyjnej
z
Instytut Mechanizacji Budownictwa i Górnictwa Skalnego
z
Instytut Metali Nieżelaznych
z
Instytut Metalurgii Żelaza im. Stanisława Staszica
z
Instytut Napędów i Maszyn Elektrycznych KOMEL
z
Instytut Nowych Syntez Chemicznych
z
Instytut Obróbki Plastycznej
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Instytut Odlewnictwa
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Instytut Pojazdów Szynowych „Tabor”
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Instytut Przemysłu Organicznego
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Instytut Przemysłu Skórzanego
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Instytut Spawalnictwa
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Instytut Techniki i Aparatury Medycznej ITAM
z
Instytut Technologii Drewna
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Instytut Technologii Eksploatacji — PIB
z
Instytut Technologii Elektronowej
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Instytut Technologii Materiałów Elektronicznych
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Instytut Tele- i Radiotechniczny
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Instytut Włókiennictwa
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Instytut Zaawansowanych Technologii Wytwarzania
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Przemysłowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarów
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Przemysłowy Instytut Maszyn Rolniczych
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Przemysłowy Instytut Motoryzacji
WWiittoolldd ŚŚwwiieecczzaakk,, MM..SScc.. EEnngg..,, IInnssttiittuuttee ooff AAvviiaattiioonn,, PPoollaanndd ——graduate of Environmental Protection at
the Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology.
Currently, he works for the Institute of Aviation in the department of marketing as a project manager.
He deals with analyzing research market and the aerospace sector. He is specialized in inbound
marketing. Moreover, he manages guerilla and ambient marketing activities as well as charitable
activities of the Institute of Aviation. The initiator and organizer of international science conferences
also a curator of the outdoor historical and aviation exhibitions.
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