Update Your Content Marketing Strategy for 2016
It seems like it just began, but 2015 is almost over. There have been many content marketing changes over the year, and 2016 likely will not be any different. Below are four predictions for the 2016 content marketing landscape:
Interactive Content
Articles are the most common type of content on the internet, but that may soon change. Although videos, slideshows, podcasts, infographics, and quizzes take more time to create than a written article. Some are predicting that 2016 is the year of the tipping point in which marketing content will be more interactive and less static text. After all, interactive content is usually more efficient and engaging, which means it’s more likely to catch a reader’s attention and have them more inclined to share and “Like.”
Pay-to-Play
Facebook was one of the first major social media networks to enact pay-to-play policy, having businesses with Facebook pages pay to reach potential customers, which effectively nullified organic reach. Research shows that only 16 percent of your business page fans will see your message unless you pay to promote the post. Likewise, a tweet that is not promoted on Twitter reaches only 10 percent of your followers due to the heavy post flow on this network. If you haven’t done so already, it is important to add Facebook and Twitter post promotion cost to your digital marketing budget.
Influencer Marketing
Content marketing is more than just competing against the message of your business competitors, but also all other content. This includes funny videos, news articles, and quizzes that reveal your age based on your favorite food. Readers and watchers, your potential customers, can connect with the creators that they see as thought leaders, including moms that run parenting blogs, and personal trainers creating YouTube exercise videos. Your business can greatly expand its social media reach, and therefore its exposure to potential customers, by partnering with influencers to piggyback off of their follower base. This marketing avenue provides additional positive word-of-mouth from a trusted source.
Multiple Channels
Although most businesses have a primary market, the main demographic they go after in marketing, there are many ways to communicate with your customers. Some respond better to emails and others texts; some customers prefer mail while others go for social media. Your marketing strategy should encompass different marketing channels to more effectively reach all of your different customers. Focus on one-on-one topics, if possible, which is more like talking to a community within a community, a small group instead of just one person. Try to be as specific as possible to the needs of those individuals.
