Objective: Content marketing involves the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience. The present study aims to develop a native model for social media content marketing in Iran.
Methods: This research employs a qualitative method based on the grounded theory approach. The participants consisted of academics and experts in the fields of communication and marketing. The sample comprised 10 specialists and professors, selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through coding procedures.
Results: The analysis yielded 335 themes, which were categorized into 71 codes and subsequently grouped under four overarching categories: approaches, characteristics, disruptions, and challenges of content marketing. The results further indicated that shifting the focus from a passive audience to an active user, as well as producing targeted content aligned with users’ informational, educational, and entertainment needs, constitutes a key success factor in social media content marketing. Moreover, intervening conditions—including traditional marketing approaches, unstructured and aimless content production, and information overload—pose significant challenges that must be addressed to implement an effective native content marketing model.
Conclusions: The primary strategy proposed by the model emphasizes the continuous production of high-quality, goal-oriented content. This strategy facilitates both user engagement and retention—as key organizational assets—and increased product sales. The proposed model offers organizations a practical framework for leveraging the potential of social media in an effective and culturally congruent manner, tailored to the needs and preferences of Iranian users. This research contributes to both the theoretical and practical domains of content marketing in Iran by providing actionable insights for companies and brands seeking to capitalize on opportunities in cyberspace.