Content is King, but the Kingdom is Growing
Content marketing is arguably the most interesting/viewed/compelling/engaging/ intriguing part of a company’s marketing strategy. It allows the company to share its thoughts and opinions, rather than reposting an article with someone else’s ideals. This transparency of opinion and knowledge helps customers build trust with companies based on similar beliefs, rather than on the products alone.
Statistically Speaking
According to CMO Council, 90 percent of consumers find custom content useful and 78 percent believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them. (1) Customers are doing more research on products and companies than ever before. Content Plus found 70 percent of consumers prefer getting to know a company via articles, rather than ads. (2) Is a company active in the community, charitable, eco-friendly, thinking beyond the dollar signs? These are the types of principals customers are looking for in a company. 68 percent of consumers spend time reading content from a brand they are interested in. (3) Custom content is the best way for companies to let clients know who they are and what they are up to.
Expanding the Kingdom
The saying goes “Content is King”, but the realm is expanding. Now that content marketing is an accepted part of a successful marketing strategy, the challenge is to keep up with the evolving trends to ensure content is relative and competitive.
The blog will always be a staple of the content marketing strategy. It can be as in depth or minimal as a company is willing to write, and the customer can read it as intently or quickly as they like. Nearly half of marketers say the blog is the most valuable and versatile type of content marketing. (2)
However, there is a way to enhance this staple of the content marketing strategy. What does our brain understand better than words? Pictures, images, something visual. It is easier to comprehend a picture of the majestic Neuschwanstein Castle than to read a description of it. Adding an image or infographic to a blog post can increase views by 94%, compared to articles that do not include a visual element. (4)
As the 2015 content marketing trends take effect, video has proven to be the visual element that companies are adding to the marketing strategy. 70 percent of marketers are already using videos as part of their marketing strategies; and 82 percent agree that video content marketing is effective and successful. (5)
Videos give a company another way to connect with customers and build relationships. The videos can be for fun, showing the easy-going company culture, or increasing brand awareness by showing the extent of a company’s product lines. Instead of having written customer testimonials, ask some customers if they would be comfortable answering a few questions on camera. Potential customers will see those testimonial videos with the satisfied customers and be more willing to buy a product from that company.
The companies that will see success in 2015 are the ones that will explore new marketing efforts and connect with customers in new ways.
Article 1: The Content ROI Center
Article 2: The Anatomy of Content Marketing Infographic
Article 3: The Content Marketing Revolution
Article 4: 6 Powerful Reasons Why you Should Include Images in your Marketing – Infographic
Article 5: The 4 Essentials of Video Content Marketing Success
By Stephanie Ganzer
By Christina Maxwell