I’m driving the content marketing bandwagon. I have this dream, no … this desire, to live in a world where I can read, watch, smell, hear and touch things that are important to me. In this dream, I get the choice to ignore things I don’t care about, like any talk about the New York Jets. I can listen to podcasts, read books, watch Vine videos of things that I find useful. That’s a world I’d like to live in.

What I’m asking is, will you join me?

Will you urge your company to start content marketing?

Too often, we find ourselves in this marketing world where we “need” to do something because it’s the norm. Content marketing shifts that conversation to: We’d like to do something different, and we’d like to do it right. I’d urge you to pump the brakes before planning your National Whatever Day post and consider hopping on the bandwagon. Here are five reasons it makes sense:

1. Let your brain run free
   Let’s move past #tbt. Let’s think bigger than “On this day in history …” posts. Instead, let’s think of new and engaging ways to provide valuable content to our audience. How about you take a blog and turn it into a SlideShare? Why not create short videos? Will a case study do the trick? Before you just randomly post content, stop for a moment and think bigger. What a great exercise to put your brain through!
2. It works for all-size brands (but definitely smaller ones)
   Smaller brands cannot compete with the million-dollar ad spends. Everyone knows that. But what smaller brands can be is more flexible, and sometimes creative, with their storytelling ability. It won’t increase your sales on day one, and maybe not on day 100. However, content marketing opens the door to long-lasting customer relationships that can turn prospective customers into repeat buyers.
3. We live in an opt-in and opt-out world
   The whole point of content marketing is to capitalize on this simple notion that most consumers are more engaged with things that are not advertising. Instead, people want to receive information that can make their lives better. Once you’ve given them a great blog post, and they subscribe, you’ve got them. Now they want more. You keep feeding them until their brand loyalism is spouting out of their ears.
4. Employee growth
   Chief content officer? Chief measurement officer? Content marketing strategist? All of the roles are creatable, scalable and important when you begin content marketing. Employees will be driven. They will dream. That’s awesome. And working at Dixon Schwabl, one of the best small companies in America, I can attest that employees who dream big often have happy clients.
5. You create the story
   Shh, don’t tell my friends in public relations that I said this little tidbit. With content marketing, which often involves some storytelling through brand journalism, you’re going to create the story. Mark Ragan said it best: Stop pitching the media. It’s time to make the media come to you. Famous example? Locally owned Kodak used to pitch magazines, online publishers and blogs. Now, it writes its own reviews, shares photos and videos, and makes presentations that its audience will find valuable. It is writing its story.

What are some other reasons marketers should consider hopping on the content marketing bandwagon? I’d love to hear them. Tweet me @DixonSchwabl or @AndrewKnoblauch, or give the great people of @AMArochester a shout – or, you can even leave a comment below.

Andrew Knoblauch is digital media and public relations executive at Dixon Schwabl. He is the host and producer of One More Thing, Dixon Schwabl’s official podcast.