The History of Content Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]

July 21, 2016

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If you dig back history, content marketing has been there throughout the history of mankind. It perhaps started with cave paintings or, as some would argue, only after the invention of the Gutenberg printing press. But yes, the history of content marketing is an enticing one, at least for me and other marketers like me.

This infographic from CMI has unearthed many interesting examples of early-day content marketing and some of which date back to 1732 when Benjamin Franklin first published the yearly Poor Richard’s Almanack in order to promote his printing business.

That was perhaps the first generation of content marketing where people solely depended on pamphlets and other highly circulated marketing materials to promote their businesses. Brands have used these marketing materials to tell their stories to audiences since long.

But content marketing, as we know it today, really came into being only after the so-called democratization of content over the Internet. It is indeed a major turning point for marketers. With time it gave birth to influential brands, trends, campaigns, innovators, and inventions, making content marketing a more dynamic and challenging sector.

Examining the history of content marketing, therefore, helps us identify the patterns as history sometimes repeats itself; but it also provides insights into where the industry is heading to. And this is exactly what this infographic does; it studies some of the most significant achievements in the content marketing industry and helps us decode impact of those efforts.

History of Content Marketing 2016

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About Pratik Dholakiya

Pratik Dholakiya is the founder of Growfusely, an SEO and content marketing agency. Pratik has contributed on sites like Moz, Fast Company, Social Media Examiner, KISSmetrics, and Content Marketing Institute to name a few. He's a "must-follow" SEO expert according to Search Engine Watch and has been named one of the top content marketing influencers by Onalytica. He's passionate about fitness, entrepreneurship, start-ups, and all things digital marketing. Hit him up on Twitter @DholakiyaPratik for a quick chat on any of these topics.

  • Yes, this is really an exceptional inforgraphics , showing how the industries have been using such since long decades. Thanks Pratik.

  • Absolutely, Ram. I never imagined ‘content marketing’ is around since 1732!

  • Rob Powell

    Hi Pratik, great article and a very interesting infographic! Thanks for sharing.