> What is content marketing and how does user-generated content fit into it? Here's a clear definition, core formats, and how brands use both together today. Source: https://sideshift.app/glossary/content-marketing Updated: 2026-11-10 [Strategy](https://sideshift.app/glossary/category/strategy) # Content Marketing By Nick LawtonUpdated Nov 10, 20264 min read On this page ## Quick definition Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing valuable content, such as articles, videos, and guides, to attract and retain an audience, rather than promoting a product directly. Marketing teams, in-house writers, and agencies all run content marketing programs, typically to build brand awareness, trust, and organic traffic over time. ## What Is Content Marketing? Content marketing means publishing content that informs, entertains, or helps an audience, with the goal of building long-term brand awareness and trust rather than making an immediate sales pitch. It’s typically run by marketing teams, dedicated content marketers, or agencies, and it spans blog posts, videos, guides, email newsletters, and social content (anything built to earn attention on its own merit rather than interrupt it). The goal is almost always compounding: content published today can keep attracting an audience for months or years afterward, unlike a paid ad that stops delivering the moment spending stops. For the step-by-step process of putting one together, our [content marketing strategy](https://sideshift.app/blog/content-marketing) guide breaks down how to plan, produce, and measure a program from scratch. ## Why Content Marketing Works Content marketing works because it meets people where they already are (searching, scrolling, researching) rather than interrupting them with a direct sales message. It builds trust gradually: an audience that finds a brand’s content genuinely useful tends to develop goodwill toward that brand long before any purchase decision happens. It’s also durable: well-made content keeps generating traffic, leads, or brand exposure long after it’s published, compounding in value rather than expiring the way paid media spend does. ## Types of Content Marketing Common content marketing examples include blog posts and SEO-focused articles, video content ([YouTube](https://sideshift.app/blog/youtube-influencer-marketing), [Shorts](https://sideshift.app/blog/youtube-shorts-for-ugc-creators), [Reels](https://sideshift.app/blog/how-to-use-instagram-reels-for-business)), email newsletters, podcasts, downloadable guides and ebooks, case studies, and social media content built for education or entertainment. Brands typically run several of these simultaneously, repurposing one core piece of content. For example, a long-form guide could be turned into shorter social posts, an email, and a video summary. ## Content Marketing vs. UGC Marketing The two overlap but aren’t the same thing. Content marketing is typically brand-created and brand-controlled, written or produced in-house or by an agency, optimized for SEO, brand voice, and long-term discoverability. UGC marketing relies on content made by real customers or [content creators](https://sideshift.app/blog/content-creator-definition), often less polished, more native-feeling, and built to perform in social feeds rather than search results. Content marketing tends to build authority and organic traffic over time; UGC tends to build trust in the moment, since it reads as a genuine recommendation rather than brand messaging. Brands usually run both together, using content marketing for discovery and education, and UGC for social proof and conversion closer to the point of purchase. To learn how to build a UGC-led content system that converts, read our guide to [UGC content marketing strategy](https://sideshift.app/blog/ugc-content-marketing-strategy). ## Add Creator Content to Your Content Marketing Good UGC starts with [finding the right creators](https://sideshift.app/platform/creator-marketplace), and that's where many content marketing programs stall before they get going. With [SideShift](https://sideshift.app/), you get access to a pool of 1M+ creators, so you can review profiles and past work to find people who fit your tone and audience instead of guessing from a cold outreach list. Post a brief and creators apply directly, so you can [start a UGC program](https://sideshift.app/blog/getting-started-with-ugc) with the right talent in place from day one. [Try SideShift for free today](https://sideshift.app/plans). ## Frequently asked questions What are the three C’s of content marketing? They’re commonly cited as Content, Context, and Community: creating valuable content, delivering it in the right context for the audience and platform, and building a community around it that keeps coming back. What does a content marketer do? A content marketer plans, creates, and distributes content, articles, videos, guides, and more, aimed at attracting and retaining an audience, while also measuring performance and adjusting strategy based on what drives traffic, engagement, or conversions. How do you measure content marketing? Common metrics include organic traffic, time on page, search rankings, lead generation, and conversion rate, along with brand awareness indicators like branded search volume or social share of voice, measured over a longer time horizon than most paid campaigns. ## Launch your next UGC campaign today. Find creators, manage their work and track results in SideShift. [Start your free trial ](https://sideshift.app/try-free)14 days free on monthly plans. Creator payments are separate. --- ## About SideShift SideShift (sideshift.app) is a creator marketing platform for brands and agencies. Brands post a brief, UGC creators apply, and SideShift runs the campaign: contracts, content review, view and engagement tracking for every post, and creator payouts in one place. SideShift (sideshift.app) is not affiliated with SideShift.ai, the cryptocurrency swap service. Company facts: https://sideshift.app/about · Pricing: https://sideshift.app/plans/brands · Site index for AI agents: https://sideshift.app/llms.txt