What is content marketing?
As one may guess, marketing content within the digital world is far different from traditional marketing.
Content marketing is a technique that involves creating, curating, and distributing clear and consistent content to attract an audience on the Internet. The goal? To draw in that audience, hold onto your readership, and — if you do it right — to earn a profit from your online readership.
The key to successful online content marketing lies in providing relevant content to an audience who will keep coming back for more and who are legitimately interested in the content you provide.
However, know this – the techniques involved in attracting and monetizing an online readership are rapidly changing, so it’s crucial to pay attention to the latest trends as a way to stay ahead and maintain your online audience base.
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How competitive is content marketing?
One of the first things you have to know about content marketing is that it’s become highly competitive. According to the Content Marketing Institute in a poll it conducted, 88 percent of respondents reported that their organizations used content marketing. That’s up from 86 percent the previous year.
To put it bluntly: the amount of content found online is growing exponentially, which makes it all the more difficult for marketers to attract and maintain a reader’s attention.
How do people view online content?
According to a report on comscore.com, in 2015, close to 50 percent of all digital media time was spent on smartphone apps (External Link). That means a large share of one’s audience base is viewing content on mobile devices. Marketers have to optimize their campaigns and content accordingly.
What sort of content do audiences respond to best?
When it comes to marketing online, there are a several different mediums one can use. But according to a 2016 Forbes article, visual and video content takes the lead in the way people consume information on the internet.
The article reported that visual content is “fundamental” to the web – and video is key. According to the infographic provided on the Forbes article, an estimate shows that by 2020, 82% of all consumer internet traffic will be video. So if you’re not already utilizing visuals and video in your content marketing, that’s a trend you have to follow right now.
Who do audiences like to hear from the most?
According to Marketing Insider Group, 85% of people trust content made by other users — also known as User Generated Content, or UGC. People like content created by people just like them, rather than content that’s obviously curated by large companies and organizations. So it’s important to use tools that allow you to write your own, unique content, and market it well.
One way to do that is with social media channels, like Twitter and Facebook.
Another way to explore User Generated Content is to use websites like ConnectPal.
Anything else I should know?
To repeat: stay on top of the latest trends in online content marketing. This is an industry that is rapidly changing and its speed of change is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
