With only a week to go before the year ends, marketing leaders from around the world are gathering their teams together in an effort to interpret 2016 trends in a manner that will result in success in 2017. In many circumstances, the question being pondered is how to break through content noise in order to deliver to the consumer the content he or she will need to make buying decisions this coming year.
By now you’ve probably heard (maybe even to ad nauseam) that content is king. But do you realize that according to the Content Marketing Institute 88% of B2B marketers in North America depend on some form of content marketing? Savvy marketers know that the ability to differentiate their company is dependent on how well they speak to and interact with their consumer.
In 2017 and beyond, companies that allow content marketing to dominate their brand’s digital marketing strategy in a well-executed plan will dominate their market. The content or concept doesn’t have to be rocket science. This simply means that marketers must deliver useful, relevant and engaging information to their targeted audience. And in return, if their audience finds the content beneficial that content will be used in helping to make informed decisions.
If you got ahead of the content game in 2016, you will probably start 2017 off strong; however, if you are late to the game, you need to execute a content strategy with urgency as the longer you wait, the more difficult it will become to break through the digital noise and differentiate your content from the competition. Here are 4 tips to get you started.
- Quality versus Quantity.
In 2017 you can expect to see a focus on quality over quantity. Marketers will get away from whipping out a seemingly endless stream of fluff with the only end goal of being to keep their names in the game. Instead, leading agencies and brands will produce substantial, quality content that resonates with both their target audience and search engines.
- Reputation Management.
The noise in the digital landscape will continue to get louder and louder in 2017 over inundating consumers with an endless stream of information. Is it any wonder that consumers have a difficult time making considered decisions? This situation has resulted in consumers turning to the seemingly unbiased expert with knowledge to share. Today’s consumer is more likely to trust a consumer review rather than a brand message. According to Content Marketing Institute, 92% of consumers admit to valuing an endorsement from a complete stranger over any form of branded content.
- Video Marketing.
In 2017, video will become the king of all kings in the content world. Consumers like to watch videos, whether for entertainment or informational purposes. As I mentioned earlier in this article, to be successful, it is essential that marketers deliver the information that will speak to their audience. Since consumers are watching videos, if companies want to survive this coming year, they must follow their consumers.
- Social Media.
The more popular social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as the newer social platforms like Snapchat have invested heavily in the video marketing industry. What does this mean for you? The bottom line is that social media platforms are the best place for brands to share engaging video content; therefore, in 2017, social networking will be instrumental in gaining exposure and converting customers.
The above 4 points are an oversimplification of how to successfully implement a content strategy. The reality is that unless you invest the time and resources needed to develop a thoroughly researched content strategy that is flexible enough to change with trends your content execution may backfire. Remember, consumers want what they want in the way they want it and the place they want the content. If you do not meet the high expectations of your target market, they will go elsewhere. If this happens, in the end you will find that you have invested a lot of money, time and resources for little to no results.
There is no reason to fret. If you are not 100% confident that you have the internal expertise in content marketing, consumer personas and data analysis needed to create and execute a content strategy that will put your brand at the forethought of your consumers in 2017, contact DirectiveGroup, we have the capabilities you need.
