Content marketing here and now
The era of traditional marketing through product placement, direct advertisements, and promotions may as well be over. Content marketing has rapidly picked up steam and is about to replace traditional marketing as we know it, with nine out of ten B2B marketers currently engaging in some form of content marketing.
Combine the prevalence of content marketing with the potential for success (companies that blog receive 55% more web traffic than those that don’t), and it becomes obvious that the need for content marketing will only continue to grow. As content marketing increases, so will the methods for creating and publishing this content; while articles and social media remained the top two vehicles for content marketing in 2011, blogging use increased from 51% of marketers to 65%.
Image 1: Articles, social media, and blogs represent the top choices for content marketers
As the importance of social media rises, so does marketers’ belief in its viability as a content marketing platform.
Image 2: Belief in social media effectiveness rose from 31% in 2010-2011 to 50% in 2011-2012
Marketers already spend a quarter of their budget on content marketing, and 60% of them plan on increasing their content marketing budgets. With so much money pouring into content creation, companies must fully understand both how to market now, as well as how the content marketing landscape will change in the future.
To help prepare for the future of content marketing, read expert opinions on the future of content marketing:
- In the next year, marketers will invest more in content management systems that integrate planning, production, promotion and measurement. Compelling content is very difficult to scale and with the right software solution, marketers will be able to coordinate, collaborate and optimize their content marketing efforts based on a common system. –Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Online Marketing
- Companies will increasingly invest in people through direct hires or by outsourcing the content creation process. At Mindjumpers, we realized we needed a leader that had a strong publishing background. We hired a veteran journalist and former online chief editor from one of the largest media companies in Denmark. I strongly believe that companies will follow our example in 2012. –Jonas Klit Nielsen, CEO and Founder, MindJumpers
- The visual appeal of great looking content will continue to rise in popularity and momentum. Sites like Pinterest have demonstrated the value that consumers place in visually appealing content. Integrating photos, videos and infographics in to content marketing strategies will continue to soar this year. –Jamie Pappas, Principle and founder, Pappas Advisors
- I see three key developments this year: First is the growth of mobile, second is the greater alignment of internal content with external content, and third is the increasing importance of analytics and the rise of better tools. –Bill Ives, Partner, The Merced Group.
- Next year’s differentiating strategies will be about how we use content in the most creative, relevant, personalized and most engaging way possible. The winners will not be those that produce the most – they will be those who produce the best stories. –Robert Rose, Social Media Strategist, Big Blue Moose, Content Marketing Institute
For more key insights and best practices from industry insiders, download our latest eBook, How to Kick-start Your Content Marketing Program: A Seven Step Approach to Delivering Success.
We’re looking forward to more discussion on the future of marketing next week at FutureM Boston. Don’t miss our panel discussion with marketing leaders from Resolution Media, Thomson Reuters and IBM: “Are Brands Becoming Media Houses.”
If you have content marketing tips or want to share your success stories, please contact us Twitter or Facebook. We look forward to hearing from all content marketers!
David Woodrow
@DavidWoodrow
