Leading Experts Predict The Content Marketing Trends for 2014
2013 saw a number of new
Internet marketing trends emerge along with a handful of new technologies,
practices, and buzzwords. One of these many changes came in the form of
Google’s various algorithm updates, which forced countless brands to revisit
their existing SEO strategies and give them a much-needed face lift. Another new
focal point came from the mobile side, and with 2014 fast approaching, nearly
every brand on Earth is looking for ways to tailor their services for mobile.
Despite the wide number of changes this past year, one thing stole the Internet
marketing spotlight this year—content marketing. As we look towards 2014,
it’s obvious that content marketing has already become the hottest trend in the
industry—the go-to strategy for most, if not all, Internet marketers. Despite
its growth, 2014 will finally bring a full-fledged, industry-wide adoption of
content marketing standards and practices. So what are the top players in
the internet marketing field expecting with this shift towards content marketing?
Actually, thoughts are mixed.
Chase McMichael
According to cinematographers Chase McMichael, “2014 is all about going beyond
experimenting, to full content marketing integration and executions.” Rather than debating its significance,
brainstorming strategies, or trying to establish an appropriate content budget,
2014 will be the year where those who don’t have their content marketing
strategies ironed out will be left in the dust.
With widespread adoption
of content marketing looming on the horizon, many marketers are wondering what
to expect in 2014. Well, if 2013 proved anything, it was that quality content
is now the name of the game and that social shares and user engagement are the
new benchmarks of a brand’s success. What does this mean for advertisers and
publishers? It means that in order to stay relevant in the near future,
marketers must be able to create and share original and compelling content that
customers (or potential customers) are likely to read, comment, and share with
their networks. Simply put, performance marketing in 2014 will be all about
earned media.
Greg Secrist
BKA Content’s Greg
Secrist says that he expects to see marketers place an even
stronger emphasis on “high quality content, authorship content, and FAQ-type
content” in 2014 order to gain traction and to rank better within organic
search results. “In short, I think we will see a mind shift in which
marketers start taking the SEO out of SEO, and instead, start focusing on
creating content that resonates with users and answers their search questions.”
With advertisers and
publishers readily adopting new content strategies, it seems as though the
digital marketing industry has already accepted the concept of content
marketing with open arms; however, there are some people who aren't on board.
David Spark
David Spark of
Spark Media Solutions is one of those people, and his main concern is that
advertisers and publishers are using “content” as click-bait, with the sole
intention of selling something rather than providing the consumers with any
valuable information.
“I’d like to see an end
of the term ‘content marketing’ because I think’s it’s insidious,” Spark
explains. “My wish for 2014 would be a quick death for the term
‘content marketing,’ but my 2014 prediction will be a major
upheaval in click-bait content such as info graphics and listicles. Most brands
will realize that these paper-thin content offerings only generate vanity
metrics and don’t ever truly deliver value to the business’ bottom line. And
herein lies the challenge of content marketing—publishers post pieces of
“content” such as memes, viral videos, info graphics, etc., and see a lot of
user engagement via comments, likes, and shares, which is currently being
equated to a successful, revenue-producing campaign.
However, whether or not
those “engaged users” actually perform the desired action often remains to be
seen. In fact, in most cases when users are interacting with “branded content,”
they’re not converting or producing any desired action, rather, they’re
skimming over the content, liking and sharing, and moving on. More times than
not, these shallow, yet viral pieces of content serve no purpose when it comes
to actual business objectives, despite their propensity for inflating a brands
“vanity metrics” and boosting perceived “user engagement.” So as 2014
approaches and the content marketing craze continues its takeover, we expect to
see a lot of new practices arise and different trends come and go.
This type of content will not only entice fans
to engage and interact with your brand, but it will also help on other fronts
such as SEO, and most notably with revenue.”
