Content Marketing – Is It Still King?

Changes In Content Writing

Content marketing has been around since well before the internet. Historically, content marketing practices by brands began to grow in the late 19th century as a method for attracting potential customers with valuable content. [caption id="attachment_5323" align="alignright" width="300"] geralt / Pixabay[/caption] The idea was that companies could focus on the needs and interests of their customers, rather than pushing product purchases, with publications such as magazines, booklets, or newspapers. Eventually, radio came along in the 1920s, changing marketing from the written word to audio, and commercial advertisements were born. By the mid 20th century, television became the new craze for marketing your content and products, followed by the digital age dawning in the 1990s. Today's content marketer knows that the initial philosophy of engaging viewers with valuable information is still crucial, but with the onset of mobile devices and capturing micro-moments, getting your message out is a whole new beast. This article from Think With Google discusses how Adidas changed their marketing strategy to fit with today's fast-paced global world. After realizing they were falling behind, they re-evaluated their global game plan and came to this conclusion:

To get this little revolution started, we had to come to terms with three new realities.

1. The consumer is in command.
2. The consumer needs to hear a single voice.
3. The cultural shift this requires is intense.

[caption id="attachment_5324" align="alignleft" width="300"] geralt / Pixabay[/caption]

The consumer is in command

Direct-to-consumer and wholesale buyers and merchandisers used to dictate the trends in our world. We controlled our launches and rolled them out in each country at our own pace. But now, consumers shape the trends. In our case, sneaker and lifestyle blogs have gone mainstream globally and social influencers have proliferated. We have a core set of advanced consumers and fans who drive interest in our products, innovations and storylines. The speed is relentless. In the past we could introduce a new line of shoes and nurture its growth in a measured period of time, region by region. We called the shots. But now, thanks to mobile, the information spreads so quickly across the globe that we run the risk of having unsatisfied consumers if the hot new product isn’t available in their market. We’ve had to shift from local launches to global launches, which affects everything from supply-chain coordination to our marketing programs and publishing strategy.

Learn more here:  Empowered mobile consumers led Adidas to a cultural revolution

Solving individual needs and problems and doing it all in a seamless, user-friendly approach is what today's consumers are looking for. One way marketers reach out to engage their viewers' attention is by writing regular content via their blog.

Less Shared Content

For businesses, the art of blogging has grown by 800% over the last five years, according to TrackMaven. The problem is that social media sharing has gone the opposite direction, down 89%. In other words, companies are writing longer posts more often, but they aren't being shared as much among their social communities. People tend to share posts that stir their emotions, so if your blog isn't written in a way that evokes certain feelings, your work is less effective. Writing and curating content isn't easy for most and takes a decent time commitment. There are a number of tips that can help increase your share-ability and writing speed, and who better to explain this than Neil Patel:

It is hard to make every blog article touching or humorous, but if you just relax and write from your heart, it comes out in your post.  As the above article from Think With Google mentioned, a company needs to align their philosophy with one single voice or mission. If you sell workout shoes, then focus on stories that inspire and motivate the people you are trying to market to. If you want to teach people how to knit, become an expert on the subject, find your voice, and make it entertaining to those that share your passion.

Let Me Entertain You

The video by Neil Patel addressed some of the same key points as this article, but this post by Entrepreneur offers some great pointers for writing appealing content that your audience will want to share:

2) Entertainment. In a study conducted by Jonah Berger, author of the popular book Contagious, he looked at almost 7,000 New York Times articles to assess which got shared the most. He found that [caption id="attachment_5325" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo-Mix / Pixabay[/caption] positive news was more likely to go viral. Most people like to be the “bearer of the good news” rather than a “Debbie downer.” He also found that content that elicited high-arousal emotions such as delight, astonishment, excitement, awe, anger, frustration or anxiety got shared more than one that evoked low-arousal or deactivating emotions such as sadness. Another study conducted by Ipsos showed that 61 percent of online sharers share interesting things; 43 percent share funny things and 29 percent share content that is unique. Takeaway: Create reactive content. Write content that triggers positive high arousal emotions. Make sure that your headlines evoke curiosity and awe. Include stories as they can make any piece of content engaging, memorable and shareable.

See the other tips here:  The 7 Secrets to Shareable Content

The idea that excitement enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm holds true with social sharing. If users see a post that has been shared a lot, they are more likely to share the info as well. If possible, use share buttons that provide the number of times a post or image has been shared. Don't be afraid to take a stand about your fundamental convictions and causes you believe in. You will inspire your readers that feel the same way, and they are more likely to pass on something they feel passionate about. It does take practice to become good at anything, but if you don't like writing your own content, hiring a professional content writer might be the answer.

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