Slippery Fish: Defining Content, Content Strategy, and Content Marketing

This article is part of Focus on Content Marketing: A Spotlight on Content Marketing Trends for Healthcare Marketers, an exclusive member report from eHealthcare Strategy & Trends.

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// By Ahava Leibtag //

When we speak to executives, our colleagues, teams, and vendors, it’s in our best interest to use these terms consistently to avoid confusion and frustration.

The terms “content marketing” and “content strategy” get slung around like so many shiny, whole tunas at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle. As content production in healthcare has increased, the need for tools and documentation to keep teams aligned and efficient has also risen.

But both the internal teams and the vendors and agencies who work together lack a clear understanding of these similar-sounding terms. And the confusion that ensues can lead to a messier situation than the one at that world-famous fish market.

Let’s see if we can clarify the differences between content, content marketing, and content strategy.

Content Isn’t Copy

Depending on who you discuss “content” with, their definition may be different from yours. We find a helpful mental model is to divide content into three parts: information, formats, and distribution.

Let’s say a healthcare organization gains a new specialist in pediatric epilepsy. The business challenge is to acquire patients for this new doctor.

• Information: We have a new pediatric epileptologist.
• Formats: Copy, video, graphics, pictures, audio.
• Distribution: Website articles, blogs, social media channels, direct mail, email, podcast channels, etc.

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