It is estimated that 60% of existing businesses have already been engaged in some form of content marketing strategies. Considering the fact that many experts believe it is one of the key areas of marketing that everyone should pay attention to, it stands to reason that the content marketing industry is poised for major growth in the coming years. But even with its growing popularity it is clear that all content marketing strategies aren’t always what they appear to be.
The Hoax
The instant mass distribution of posts through social media has allowed many businesses to find a way to wiggle their way into the consumers’ hearts by employing a content marketing strategy with fabricated information. These clever marketers create sensational stories designed to stir up emotions to a point where the consumer finds himself completely and emotionally engaged. As long as people believe the story is real, it is compelling enough to inspire journalists, bloggers, and even the average person to forward the information to others.
Repeatedly, it has been discovered that even the most respected publications and media outlets have been duped into repeating these stories and spreading them far and wide. The result is that they got their name to countless millions of people under fabricated scenarios in an effort to grow their business.
The Hook
Link Bait, another marketing trend that has been around for some time now is still gaining traction. With this strategy, the headline is what will motivate people to read on. It doesn’t matter what the story is really about, those few words used to draw the reader in are enough to get their name out there. The right headline will be enough to get people to stop and look for more information about it. The story usually ends up being compelling enough to instill some sort of emotion in the reader, and then it subtly changes from what started out to be a traditional news story to a specific solution provided by the business.
As more media outlets take advantage of this type of strategy, its effectiveness will begin to wane. People will become desensitized to these emotional strings that are pulling unwary consumers in. In the future, to be effective at getting the potential customer’s attention, they will need to focus even more on creating meaningful headlines that can attract people but not make them feel like they’ve been duped every time.
Branding
The whole idea behind content marketing is to get away from the traditional advertising mechanisms, which people have learned to ignore over time. When a commercial comes on TV, rather than people sitting to watch they usually get up and leave to get something to eat, take a bathroom break, or to make quick phone calls. With all the money invested in your marketing strategy, you want to feel assured that the consumer has at least seen and heard about what your business has to offer.
With Branding techniques, the marketing is taken away from the media venues and is placed where the people are. A good example is when businesses develop mobile apps for consumers to access. Providing not only a very useful tool, the businesses brand is readily identifiable and when the consumers share the information contained in the app, they pass along the brand information too, making them the carriers of the business message. To learn more about brand strategy – click here.
Probably the simplest strategy in the world of content marketing is to increase the amount of content that a business has online. While the effort to create this abundant supply of quality content continues to be a challenge for most, it is still one of the most effective ways of getting consumers to remember their name.
Most business markets understand the significance of upping their content output. But while having a great deal of content can have a major impact on brand recognition, the most effective marketers recognize that quantity alone is not enough to keep potential customers coming in. Not only is quantity a necessity, they also need the content to be of high quality in order to fully engage readers – this will in turn help to increase their profits and their businesses will grow as a result. For some great tips on how to create exciting content on a regular basis for your specific audience – click here.
The truth is that no matter what type of business you’re maintaining, or what your goals are for the future, without effective content marketing, you’ll be struggling for your share of the online audience. The trends in content marketing are constantly in a state of flux and new strategies to attract viewers are being introduced every day. The key to success in keeping up with these changing strides is to know what content your customers need and when they need it. Once you understand this, you will have to find a way to consistently deliver it to meet those needs and your business will grow as a result.
