Content Marketing Trends For 2014

By Author: Sam Roy
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Content Marketing Trends for 2014
“Content is the reason, search began in the very first place”- Lee Oden, Top Marketing

Chances are, while you were busy developing those end-to-end codes, someone far away has read your website’s content and has framed an image of yours. And, right at that moment, your content has made a small move in that person’s wits.

The 2013 State of Inbound Marketing Report states that:

• 18% of marketers confirmed that developing quality content was their top priority in 2013.
• 10% of companies have a dedicated person for content creation.
• 11% of marketers say that their top challenge is to create content for international audience.

Being one of the gravest sections of inbound marketing, content has curved explosive amendments in the way marketing takes place in business. What made the whole scenario more serious, is, Google’s new short listing tactic. The updated search engine algorithm of Google has forced many marketers and business owners to take a serious note on their content strategy. For, in the kingdom of Google, unsavory links, ...
... not-at-par content, and sites with absence of media signals is no more important. If not now, in the very near future, they will lose sight from Google. Whatever might be the goal of your business, at the end of the day, it’s the content which will establish your brand, convey the relevant message and open way for potential sales.

So what is Content Marketing?
The term ‘content marketing’ is most of the times confusing. True, the term sounds promising. But then, when I ask someone about it, the whole thing hardly ends up with a conclusive answer. After going through a lot of articles, blogs, and research, I finally stumbled upon this. “Content Marketing is all about telling a compelling story”- Joe Pulizzi, Content Marketing Institute. (So simple it is!! Is it??)

Everything is not for everyone. Content Marketing draws its line with this firm belief. It is the practice of creating information and creative material for potential customers. What lies at the bottom is a purpose, to enhance loyalty, build trust, expansion of branding and impending business from or with them. In a nutshell, one doesn’t require wooden stake or an angel wand now, to keep the bad marketing demon at bay. Unique content creation and the right way of marketing, is all that is needed. A haphazard way of content delivery will not count. A strategic planning for every concept in the present, will determine the efforts in the long run.

The art of content marketing: Are you doing this too?
Developing an effective marketing strategy is not easy. Further it’s not a day’s action. Content required for marketing can either be written, auditory or visual. The whole umbrella includes blogs, articles, social media posts, podcasts, auditory interview, info graphics, videos and much more. Effective content is the one, which can keep the readers engaged and make them want to come back to your content, again and again. High quality content is the one, which is both informative and engaging at the same time. So, how do you know, how effective is your content in the business niche? If you are one of those names, who are adhering to these tactics, then, you are doing good content marketing. If not, it’s time you adapt yourself to the evaluation.

1. Defined targets: Its time you target your audience in mind. It is a myth that being focused on one class takes closer to effective content marketing in a much lesser time. And it is also not possible, to market everything to everyone, at one time. It is always a smart action, to make the first move upon the concentrated class. The wise thing to do is, pick a potential customer that will bring you, the best of the outcome. Mind you, there is always a silver lining between writing for customers and writing for readers.

2. A deep contextual understanding: It is important for the marketer to be aware of their customer’s situation. If you are ignorant of their understanding, doesn’t matter how specific you target your content, getting on the right nerve will almost be impossible. To create content that will make sense to the customers, one needs to have clear understanding of the motivations, requirements, pain areas of the whole target-buy process. The marketer should foresee the possible jolts, which might get the customer stumble at times. In case something like this happens, what would your part of assistance, that would compel the customer to come back to you.

3. Apparent conversion goals: Once you get the in-depth understanding of the buyers’ minds, it is time you plan your actions that will help them reach to you and consume your content. Each action is similar to a conversation between the two. The whole content marketing strategy should be centered on a goal, which turns potential visitors into customers.

4. How to keep audience engaged: By the time I begin this in details, it should almost be clear, how important it is, to know the interest of the buyers. Now, how to get their attention and keep their interest for long? As an example, one can take the following situation:
Readers most often are interested in the Top 5 or Top 10 posts. Chances are, those points already exists in your content too. In this case, how to create an engaging content? Writing simple and compelling pieces, that will tell your story is the key.
Here are two instances. This would make clear, what it is like to engage customers.

Mr. Clark and I, met on a bright sunny day in my big London office. It would take not more than few seconds for anyone to tell that Mr. Clark was exhausted and wiped out. His skin was pale, and shoulders edgy. His grin was not the familiar one. He had eye bags under his eye. He must be missing sleep for past few days. I was almost excited about the meeting, until he shouted “Elin, my business is on the verge of bankruptcy. Something needs to be done. I guess it’s time I take some serious operation, to save my brick.”

Or this?

A yearlong retail business can be affected badly with wrong technology. Unfortunately, many stores and retails wait until awful financial straits to make even the first change. One of such industry is getting bankrupt, because they are almost in the verge of losing business under big retails.

Which one of these is likely to make customers want to read more?

Where did your business stand in the test?
Did your business pass the above test? All the while, were you writing for your audience? Did you care to note, what would interest them? Was your content engaging enough?
In the core of every business, it is these points, which make the difference.

Conclusion:
Today, more and more companies are turning to adopting innovative and fresh ways of turning their products and services into something that people really want to see and acquire. The business of present scenario does not demand good, but excellent content writing. Hence, creating a well piece of content writing is becoming important for both start ups and established business.
Good content might can not only cause a reader to come back to your site, but also provoke peers to share something relevant, which might further be shared with their friends. A single reader can amazingly turn into hundred more, with just one single point. A truly captivating content has the innate capacity for calling more and more shares.