Think back to the early 2000s. Was ANYONE talking about “content?” Anyone at all?

Not really.

Nowadays you can’t go five minutes at a conference or event without hearing someone talk about the important nature of your “content.”

Your web content.

Your social content.

Content, content, content!

When did PR become about “content”?

Isn’t it really about ideas?

Now, I know what you’re saying. Arik, content IS ideas! We may just have a semantics problem.

OK, you may be right. But, I think the words have different connotations and I think it’s important to distinguish the two and talk about why that’s important.

For me, “content” amounts to words, visuals and videos you might use in a marketing sense to sell your products or services.

IDEAS, on the other hand, are big-picture thoughts designed to shape the way your customers think about your brand, your products or services and your people.

“Content” = words on a web page.

IDEAS represent that thing that sparks interest in your brand.

“Content” frequently equates to infographics.

IDEAS represent how those infographics connect to your customer and how they inspire them to share those infographics.

“Content” gets to the process of coming up with something to say on a daily basis for most brands.

IDEAS are the reasons people seek out your company online.

“Content” amounts to that video advertisement you posted on your YouTube channel.

IDEAS are the notions embedded in those videos that millions of customers share, on their own, with friends and family via social channels.

Get my drift?

What do you think? Am I crazy or are we over-using the word “content” lately?