Content marketing has been a popular buzzword for a few years now, but what does it really mean? My definition would be that it describes the creation of rich, relevant and highly targeted communications with a commercial purpose -- but one that’s not readily apparent.
With me so far? Now let’s take a closer look at some of the leading trends I’m seeing.
More Popular Than Ever
Yeah, it’s pretty hot, this content marketing thing. Much more than a marketing communications industry buzzword. In fact, 89 percent of business-to-business companies and nearly as many pitching to consumers are using content marketing to advance their brand presence. Sometimes writing a lot of content can be a drain on company resources and many businesses find it more efficient to outsource their content marketing.
So, if everyone’s doing it -- is there any room for you? Yep, as long as you’re putting out content that your targeted audience wants to take in.
It’s Telling, Not Selling
Storytelling, to be specific. That means that the content you create must build a story that others will want to watch, hear or read. Don’t scare your audience away by coming across like a corporate shill or someone in used car sales.
To put it another way, don’t create content that meets your needs to sell, but focus on what your audience wants to respond to.
Shoot It
Many of us in the business of marketing (cough, cough) like to think that the written word is still king. But you might have long ago noticed that more people watch movies than read books. A lot more people.
So make your own little movies. All you need, in many cases, is a little available light and the phone you’ve got in your pocket. You won’t turn into Spielberg, but you can put out three-minute video clips that could win you a YouTube audience. It’s been done with less.
You’ll also want to get acquainted in 2018 with such free or low-cost multimedia production and editing software tools as Skitch, Promo by Snidely, Snappa, PicMonkey and Canva, among others. No idea what I’m talking about with the bizarre brand names? Check ‘em out and learn how to use them. You’ll find all kinds of tutorial videos online.
Your shoestring-budget video clips can be part of an effective multimedia storytelling campaign that might give you market influence that far outsizes your budget. But you’ve got to be creative and attract eyeballs, or you’re wasting your time. You get there by experimenting. Keep what works and trash the rest. At least you won’t wasted much money.
Get Beyond Social Media
No, don’t give up on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and the rest. But don’t stop there. You need to get even more up-close and personal with your audience, and go where not everyone else is going. Besides, these big third-party marketers have the nasty habit of occasionally changing algorithms just to watch marketers pull out their hair.
That means pushing hard to get your audience to opt-in to your email marketing campaign, where you can control the message. That means giving them something of perceived value so they hang around.
It’s not easy. But the rewards of successful content marketing can be enormous. And you won’t have to invest a small fortune to get there.
Source: Tips and Trends in Content Marketing
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