Content marketing and production has always been a part of strategy, but 2014 will see it really take on a life of its own. Good content will always be good content – but coming into 2014 the tactics, channels and consumption is about to change.
Here are the five biggest content marketing trends we will start to see in 2014:
1. Marketing Team Make-Up
Marketing teams and the roles of the people in them are constantly changing – but in 2014, make sure at least one member is responsible driving the online content strategy forward, and measuring its impact on the overarching business goals.
Whether your company has a specified Director of Content, or a Content Producer/Specialist, their role includes shaping and defining the content marketing strategy in order to execute the result. Whoever fills this role for your business, make sure they have:
- Strong writing and communication skills
- A good eye for visual content (even if they aren’t a designer)
- A keen analytical mind (and the ability to really dig into data to find meaning and relevance)
- An understanding of conversion optimisation (i.e., they are able to distinguish between content that is written to be shared versus content written to generate leads)
- The ability to think like a journalist, stay on top of current trends, and move quickly
2. Responsive Design Will be a ‘Must Have’
Mobile strategy – it’s a term we’ve come across plenty of times in the past. Come 2014, content marketers will now need an ‘everything’ strategy that encompasses multiple channels at once. According to an IDC study, by 2017, 87% of Internet device sales will be made up of smartphones and tablets, however, bear in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean having a native app.
The takeaway? To have an ‘everything’ strategy is to create a responsive experience for your audience, independent of what device they’re using, and one that will enhance their user experience.
3. Link Earning Will Trump Link Building
The best content starts with education, and teaching your audience something new in their day, rather than a blatant sales tactic. Thanks to the latest Google Hummingbird update, this means even search rankings are dictated by conversational language. (As a side note, among other things, this means actual content and creative copy will be the winner of search, instead of badly written, keyword-loaded content of the past. HOORAY!)
4. Curation and Custom Content Will Take the New Spotlight
The ability to curate and create content from multiple sources will be easier than ever, narrowing the playing field for content marketers, and giving the ability to specifically target the right audience, every time.
This is an exciting shift in direction and has the potential to be a win-win scenario for brands and their customers. Why? Rather than forcing your audience to scroll through mounds of content (you’ll probably lose them after the second paragraph), brands can now pick and choose important content pieces that tell a story, helping people find what they need.
5. Move Over Marketers – It’s Time for Brand Journalists to Shine
Judging by the last four points, it’s not surprising that content marketing strategies in 2014 will be led by individuals with backgrounds in journalism, writing, storytelling and information design, or at least of all, someone who writes what people want to know.
Overall, if there’s one thing that all marketers can agree on, it’s that we work in a fast paced industry that changes not only because of technology, but also because ever- changing interests and social trends. Content is King, and will always be, in 2014, give it the respect it deserves!
Find out more from the Content Marketing Institute, click here.