About 26% of the marketing budget in
the US is now directed towards custom, branded content, according to the latest
research by the CMO council. If we take a look back, we can easily realize that
content marketing was in its infancy stages just a decade ago; so these numbers
are absolutely staggering.
The new trend of internet marketing is that more and more
organizations continue to invest more heavily in all forms of digital content,
from white papers to custom videos, it's no secret that the field is changing
very rapidly and there is no telling how far it can go. All companies in
today's business, whether small or large, have a blog; they are sending
gorgeous, visually-stimulating emails about deals and sales all the time. It's
the norm.
Based on some of the latest studies, research, and expert predictions
in inbound marketing, here are some changes that could come to pass over the
next 6 months. I highly encourage every marketer to read this article carefully
and plan ahead for 2016:
1) SEO becomes more than just search engines.
No one can deny that Google, Bing and Yahoo are doing a great job
but the truth is; you can’t always find what you're looking for on these search
engines. While their algorithms continue to undergo improvements, the truth is
that with 30 trillion pages on the web, you can't always find what you're
looking for.
Today's consumers are also more social in their purchase habits
than ever before. Some 88% of today's purchasers make choices based on online
comments from consumers. That is nearly 9 out of every 10 buyers. This has lead
to an increase in searches for products or services on Pinterest and YouTube.
We are already seeing sharp brands shifting their efforts and
budgets from pure search engine SEO, and begin optimizing around social media
networks. This shift is strongly believed to prevail in 2016. I don't want you
to get the impression that search engines are dead; the fact is they are
unlikely to go anywhere quickly. That said; it's reasonable to start
strategizing for other, more social and interactive ways your future customers
could find you online.
2) Competition is fierce and it's going to be worse.
Content marketing is widely used by all businesses making it now
the second largest component of digital marketing budgets. Content creation and
management are just behind mobile marketing (including mobile-optimization of
websites) as the biggest expenditures for enterprises and SMBs. This means that
competition is currently really fierce for talented content marketers with a
proven track record.
Unfortunately things are going to get much worse, especially for
individuals who drive really exceptional results or have niche specialties. The
following competencies could quickly become some of the most sought-after by
content marketing teams and departments at organizations:
- Workflow content specialists.
- Visual email marketing experts.
- Sales/case study experts.
- Data-driven content creators.
Probably there won't ever be a shortage of entry-level content
creators. However, individuals with skill sets at the intersection of
creativity and technology will reach a place where they're in much higher
demand.
3) Investments in interactive content.
Virtually all digital marketers know the basics of mobile
optimization, and why it's important. Your prospects are more likely than ever
before to use a tablet or smartphone to perform the following actions online:
- Watch videos and listen to music.
- Use social media networks.
- Use media or apps to message colleagues, friends, and family.
- Read and write emails and text messages.
- Research products and make purchases.
- Complete or consume product reviews.
- Research and navigate local businesses.
It's crucial for your business that your website is
mobile-responsive; designed in a manner that will appear well on a wide variety
of screen sizes. However, the top marketers are looking toward creating content
that is optimized specifically for touch screens.
Given the choice, would you rather shop Amazon on their mobile
website or via your app? The majority of people would pick app in an instant
because every aspect of the experience is optimized for your mobile device.
Fortunately, it's now cheaper and easier for organizations to create apps of
their own, even without on-staff iOS or Android developers.
It worth mentioning that in some cases delaying a branded app
release could be the right decision, especially if it provides you time to
optimize your concept and related content. Alternative ideas for mobile-only
content can include:
- Smartphone coupons, discount codes or deals.
- Social media content that's designed for smaller screens.
- Mobile-only emails or landing pages.
4) Change in budgetary control.
In traditional enterprise environments, marketing budget control
has rested squarely in the hands of CFOs, or sometimes CIOs. Truth to be told,
content requires extreme flexibility. New concepts are being invented like
"agile SEO" and "agile inbound marketing" and are quickly
becoming buzzwords. The world's best content brands are the ones with the
ability to pivot, respond, and create relevant work in real-time.
Traditional budgetary approval processes won't always work for
content marketing teams. It can be very hectic for your business to navigate
corporate financial approval processes, including filling out forms and
obtaining managerial signatures, in an appropriately agile environment.
This is the reason why the average CMO may have more control over
department spend and monetary autonomy than ever before in 2016 and beyond.
This may need to be an earned privilege, but it's likely to pay off dividends
in companies with appropriately strategic marketers and strong leadership.
5) Digital content is getting bigger.
Recent data from the CMO Council's annual survey reveals that
digital advertising will overtake television ads by 2018. It's safe to assume
that as enterprise organizations shift their dollars away from expensive TV commercials
and into web marketing strategies, the quality of content created exclusively
for computers, mobile devices, and tablets will rise drastically. And in my
opinion, I doubt any consumer will be disappointed by better-quality content
exclusively for the web and fewer television commercials in the future.
What are your predictions
for content marketing in 2016? Kindly share your thoughts with us in the
comments section. We would love to hear from you.
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