Digital Marketing: The History of Social and the Future of Content

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

1

Digital Marketing:
The History of Social
and
The Future of Content

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

2

Digital Marketing: The History of Social and the Future of Content
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013 by Ethan Warlick
Cover art by Ethan Warlick
First Printing: June, 2013
This license lets others download this work and share it with others as long as
others credit the author, but others can’t change it in any way or use it
commercially.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

3

Contents

Intro .....................................................................................................................................4
Chapter 1. Social Marketing Era: Why so Social?..............................................................5
Chapter 2. Everybody’s A Critic: The Social Voice ...........................................................6
Chapter 3. Social Mediation: Managing Multiple Platforms ..............................................8
Chapter 4. What is a Community Manager? .......................................................................9
Chapter 5. Content Marketing – The Voice of Your Business..........................................10
Chapter 6. The Art of Social Storytelling (A Campfire Story) .........................................11
Chapter 7. Outsourcing Content to an Agency: When and Why ......................................13
Chapter 8. Collaboration of SEO and Content will lead to a Quality Internet..................14
Chapter 9. Content Marketing: 5 Tactics You Haven’t Thought of Yet...........................15
Chapter 10. The Future of Content Based on Today’s Trends..........................................18
Outro..................................................................................................................................20
References .........................................................................................................................21

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

4

Intro

My name is Ethan Warlick and I have a large passion for all aspects of digital marketing.
As a recent graduate, I have gained my Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration with a major in Marketing, a minor in Information Technology as well as
a certificate in Professional Writing. After creating a depth of digital marketing related
articles I have decided to form this collection of my content regarding the history and
future of the industry.
Throughout my experiences, both in my career and personal life, I’ve witnessed the birth
of social media and the exponential rise of digital content. From being a part of some of
the first large networks, acting as content marketer for multiple clients, as well as
following constantly changing trends, I have increased my knowledge of the established
digital map, which has allowed me to cultivate the blueprints for the future.
The chapters in this eBook will plot the start and growth of social media marketing and
the importance and rise of digital content marketing. Please enjoy the read and feel free to
continue the conversation by contacting me through my social channels or at my email
below!
Twitter: @EthanWarlick
LinkedIn: Ethan Warlick
Email: WarlickEthan@Gmail.com

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

5

Chapter
1.
Social
Marketing
Era:
Why
so
Social?

Why is it that so many people are drawn to social media? Unlike other forms of media
though, social media does not perform for the user. Rather, the user creates and maintains
the media. So again I inquire, why is it that people are drawn to social media like an
addiction?
Compared to other forms of media, such as film and music, the user acts more as the
director, screenwriter and musician instead of just enjoying the leisure of watching a
movie or listening to a favorite artist; social media creates a continuously working user.
Compared to other forms of social communication, such as speaking face-to-face or on
the phone, social media is very hands on and can be exhausting. Instead of quickly
discussing content with someone, users create accounts with their information and
maintain and update them as changes occur in their daily lives. With the number of social
platforms growing exponentially, users recreate themselves with each that they join.
So one last time I ask, why so social? In fact, if social networking were to be compared to
anything it should be marketing!
As defined by Merriam-Webster, Marketing is:
1) The act or process of selling or purchasing in a market,
2) The process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or
service, and
3) An aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer.
Comparing social media to marketing is a much simpler process. To mirror networks
with the above definition you must envision everyone’s social lives on one field or in one
market. A social network is much like a social market because it is a way of presenting
oneself to others, or marketing oneself. There is a certain process and an acquired
technique to social media marketing and instead of being just for leisure; it is actually
becoming a necessity today. So now this begs the question, why has everyone become
marketers?
Marketing establishes goods and services as unique and desirable so it is no wonder why
people have become so obsessed with marketing themselves. In such a fast-paced real
world, the cyber world allows users to keep up with their personal lives and update
themselves to friends, family and other online acquaintances.
Compared to technology use, social media use is much like the digital divide. Since it has
become such a necessity, to fall behind divides those that are still maintaining their social
lives and those that are not. Instead of being divided by those that have the ability to use
it and not, networking is divided between those that are willing to update and those that
are not, or more drastically put, those that do not matter in this large culture shift.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

6

For example, think about whenever the phone was first commercialized and every
household had one. Being the one household without a house phone is like not having a
social network. More specifically, think about how important mobile phones are to
society today. Not updating or even being a part of social networks is like not having a
personal phone.
Though it makes sense, it is still very interesting that marketing has gone from a career to
a daily necessity in everyone’s lives. The era of considering any social encounter or
action as anything other than a form of personal marketing is over and social media is the
pinnacle of this marketing era.
Chapter
2.
Everybody’s
A
Critic:
The
Social
Voice

As
new
ideas
and
products
emerge
from
the
minds
of
people,
criticism
is
emerging

from
the
social
networks
of
others.
With
the
introduction
of
Facebook
and
Twitter

status
updates
into
our
daily
lives,
users
have
taken
their
thoughts
on
different

matters
from
their
heads
and
have
begun
to
post
them
all
over
social
platforms.
If it
were ever easy to bring an idea to life without being criticized, social media has
destroyed that way of life.
Do you recall when you were a child and as soon as you saw an advertisement for a toy
you had to have it? Nothing could keep it from your hands and you wouldn’t let your
parents forget how much you needed it.
For example, I remember wanting an expensive water gun after seeing it on a commercial
and in stores. The children in the commercial were shooting water at each other from up
to ten yards away and I wanted so badly to be one of those kids. Based on the information
that the manufacturer had given me, the gun was going to be the best thing that ever had
happened in my nine years of living.
Now think if social media platforms had been present in my childhood. I could have
easily seen that users buying the water gun were very disappointed to find out that the
gun did not shoot as it did in the commercial. In all actuality, the toy was not as important
as I had once assumed. Finding out that a product is not what you actually wanted is one
thing, but finding out that you can use the criticisms of online users to help choose what
to buy and not buy is another.
Social Media Impact on Consumer Vs. Company
As a consumer, this can come in handy, but as a company this alters business plans and
can be the defining factor between the success and failure of a product or service. Now
that users have become criticizing marketers, businesses must change their strategies. To
do so they must adjust and adapt to this new socially charged environment by following
the following steps.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

7

Step 1. Analyze Marketing Aspects
To begin, you must inspect the way that you are promoting or advertising a
good to make sure it is adequate, but more importantly that it is honest. As
stated before, there is nothing worse to a consumer than any form of false
advertising. Likewise, there is nothing worse to a producer than losing
consumer loyalty, which is why goods must be marketed fairly and adequately
define the consumer experience without promising a certain expectation that is
unattainable.
Step 2. Target the Audience
As it is extremely important to analyze the marketing aspects, it is as
important to target the specific audience that will become the voice of the
good. Now that it is so simple for consumers to share thoughts on products
and services on a traceable network, it is becoming imperative to businesses to
give this voice more to glorify than to criticize.
Social media can be detrimental to the life of a good but it can be equally
beneficial. Think back to the water gun example, if the product had met
expectations or had even exceeded them, the consumers would have
drastically multiplied. If the voice is speaking, the users are doing the job of
marketing for you.
Step 3. Feed the Voice
Now that the goods are marketed correctly and the voice is talking, you must
give the voice a reason to talk. This is an important step because voices
change tones quickly. Meaning, even though it is marketed well and people
are talking about it, what are you going to give the voice for talking and how
are you going to make sure it is being heard?
To feed the voice one must keep the users wanting to speak, or give them a
reason or incentive to. This reason can include discounts for promotion or user
gratification through a Like or Retweet. Users want their connections on
networks to know that there is a reason why they are talking about a good, and
to do this you must broadcast that the specific user has made a contribution.
Key Takeaways
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter allow users to update statuses about what is
relevant to them, they also allow businesses to Retweet or even Like these contributions.
Now that you have connected with the user, they feel even more connected to your good
and brand. This is essential because it can lead to other users also wanting to be
broadcasted for their contributions, which lead them to join the voice.
Now that you have learned how to start a voice and feed the voice, social networks can
become a powerful marketing tool. Networks can be a place for negative criticism but if
you can utilize users as marketers, they will fuel the flame instead of extinguish it.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

8

Chapter
3.
Social
Mediation:
Managing
Multiple
Platforms

A
few
years
ago,
there was only one platform required to stay in the social loop, but as of
lately users have increased the amount of networks that they are a part of. This brings
along new challenges that have never been experienced before, such as where to post
what without seeming repetitive. Since issues like this have begun to arise, we are
learning to become social mediators.
Social Mediation is the user management of multiple platforms and the difficulties
associated with them. Having more than one account with a specific social network is a
new occurrence, which makes these issues a precedent. Mediating between networks has
never happened because social media has only witnessed transition stages until now.
For example, before Facebook became the social capital of the Internet, there were many
other networks fighting to be on the top. When MySpace users began flocking to
Facebook, there was a transition stage instead of mediation. Users did not make posts on
both networks; instead most gave up on MySpace and became strict Facebook users.
Now that there are diverse social networks that specialize in different parts of social
living, users are creating accounts without disbanding from previous social networks.
The largest difficulty that social mediators are dealing with is how to update users
without seeming repetitive. This is very important because users maintain many of the
same connections on separate platforms. To solve issues like these, users must adhere to
certain steps in order to perform Social Mediation.
Step 1. Analyze the Content
First, you must decide whether the content that you are broadcasting is
generally found on one platform instead of others. For example, if a user’s
content involves a connection that they have on a platform they would post it
to that platform. Sometimes it is a simple decision, other times this step
requires more attention.
If a user wants to create a status update there are multiple platforms that they
may do so. This case is becoming extremely difficult because almost every
network allows users to make these updates. To decide where content is
finally posted, a user must determine which platform is designed for the
premise of the content. Recreational content will be posted to a different
network than business related content because of the premise of the platform
as well as the audience.
Step 2. Examine the Audience of your Platforms
Next, users need to be attentive to the audience, or other users that are
connected in their network. This is important because the proper platform can
be decided based on its target audience. Some content is meant for a large
audience while other content will fit better with a smaller one.
As well as in step one, users analyze their audience on each platform to decide
which content belongs to which audience. If a user is connected with

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

9

colleagues and work associates they would not want to broadcast the
recreational activities of their weekend. Users should refrain from
broadcasting intimate content to a large audience; this has become a large
issue regarding hiring managers investigating platforms to learn about
possible candidates for positions. In some instances this step can be more
difficult than the first but frequent users become knowledgeable of audience
sizes, which makes this step simpler.
Step 3. Determine the Platform
Finally, users take their knowledge of content and audience into account to
decide where the post is designated; this is the actual mediation between
social networks. Some users decide that the content is proper for multiple
platforms and must now make a decision of how to change it to fit other
networks. If users share common connections on many platforms, the more
diverse they can create the content the more that it will not seem repetitive.
Now that social networking has entered into this mediation stage, multiple platforms will
continue to be added and users will continue to create more accounts. Difficulties in
managing platforms will continue to occur which will lead to the need of Social
Mediation.
Chapter
4.
What
is
a
Community
Manager?

With the rise of social and the need for brands to build a voice and join the conversation,
there has become a need for Community Managers. You may be asking yourself, what is
a Community Manager? Because the term takes on such a broad role, I am going to break
down the best practices of this position!
1. Humanizing the Voice of Clients
Though they represent clients in the digital realm, Community Managers must
strive to project the most humanized voice possible. Because users want to
engage in realistic connections on social platforms, it is important to use a
friendly approach that utilizes social opportunities and leverages further
connections.
2. Making Personalized Connections
It is important for Community Managers to make connections with users as
personal as possible in order to create a unique experience and form a bond
through engagement. By making these personalized connections, they nurture
and support the users engagement and help to retain them further as
consumers.
3. Creating Meaningful Relationships
Humanized voices and personalized connections combine to help create
unique and meaningful relationships with users. Information moves very fast

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

10

in social media, so it is critical to not only form relationships, but to also make
them significant.
4. Maintaining Authentic Engagements
To ensure that relationships continue to be significant, Community Managers
must maintain realistic and authentic engagements. For best practices, their
core competency should be to create unique and desirable interactions, which
can be accomplished by building genuine engagements.
5. Analyzing Social Impact
It is very important to analyze the impact of engagements so that they
can better tailor the voices of clients and connections to users. Community
Managers examine the impact of engagements by using social analytics to
better understand audiences and help create more significant impacts.
By successfully connecting with users on social platforms, nurtured leads of today can
become tomorrow’s customers.
Chapter
5.
Content
Marketing
–
The
Voice
of
Your
Business

Social media has given companies a life-like presence online and content marketing
serves as the businesses story to consumers, told through their voice. As digital business
strategies have vastly changed, companies are becoming more aware of their need of
finding this voice to speak to their consumers. Content marketing has come a long way
over the past few years but has proven to be a vital online marketing tool.
In the article Content Marketing in 2013: What the Experts Think, author Andrew
Warren-Payne notes many marketers’ thoughts on content marketing. When asked why it
has reached its tipping point this year, Doug Kessler, Creative Director and Co-Founder
of Velocity Partners, said, “It’s tipping because it works. Content is the engine of search,
social, outbound and web marketing. It’s also the fuel for lead nurturing. It took awhile
for people to see how and why content is so powerful but it’s on every marketer’s radar
now.”
Now that content marketing is established as a necessity, businesses are faced with these
3 key questions that they must ask themselves.
Question 1. Where to get Content?
As the need for content has grown, so have the opportunities for businesses to
find their voice. In the article 10 Ways Brands Will Win With Content
Marketing in 2013, author Shafqat Islam agrees that both big and small
companies are changing their content strategies. “Having an intern write three
measly blog posts a week isn’t going to cut it. Even a network of freelancers
isn’t enough,” Islam says. These apparent signs have led businesses to search

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

11

for teams to maintain the creation and development of unique and desirable
content.
Question 2. What Content should be Marketed?
Content should be valuable, relevant and attractive to readers. It is important
to create content that can help current consumers and nurture leads by
generating interest in new possible customers. “If you’re going to be creating
and pushing out content,” Islam says, “it needs to reach all target markets,
from international to hyperlocal.” Being able to reach multiple markets
through content can be difficult, but it can be made easier by knowledgeable
and experienced content marketers.
Question 3. Where should we Market the Content?
There are many social media outlets that can be used to engage consumers
with content, but to decide which to use accurately takes the design and
implementation of digital marketing strategies. The most important aspects to
remember are the purpose and audience when choosing the correct
outlet. James Keady, Digital Marketing Manager of McLaren Automotive,
says, “Content marketing is reaching a point where having a digital presence
is no longer good enough to achieve cut through, you need a value add
proposition and this is best done through a strong content strategy that reaches
your audience on the right platforms at the right time in an engaging way.”
Because content marketing has reached this undeniable peak, many businesses are
beginning to notice and it is becoming clear that these voices are being heard. Those that
are doing it best constantly ask themselves these questions as their customers’ needs
continue to change and social continues to evolves.
Chapter
6.
The
Art
of
Social
Storytelling
(A
Campfire
Story)

When
thinking
about
the
art
of
storytelling,
I
envision
a
group
of
individuals

gathered
around
a
campfire,
swapping
entertaining
and
relatable
experiences
with

each
other.
The
same
analogy
is
true
for
social
media
storytelling,
except
in
the

digital
realm
there
are
many
stories
being
told
and
a
lot
of
the
individuals
are

gathered
around
multiple
campfires
at
once.
It
is
vital
for
the
voice
of
your
brand
to

build
a
bright
fire
of
content
that
attracts
individuals
to
engage
in
the
conversation.

To
ensure
that
your
storytelling
is
the
most
effective,
it
is
important
that
you:

1. Locate your campers (Analyze your Audience)
Before you begin to research or even develop content, it is necessary that you
determine who your readers are by conducting an audience analysis. By
creating a strong foundation and forming a deep relationship with the brand,
you will be able to analyze and target the appropriate audience of consumers.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

12

2. Find your campsite (Choose your Social Platform or Content Medium)
After determining your audience, you need to establish which medium would
be optimal for the conversation. In many cases, you will have one site for the
full content and will be using social platforms to broadcast and syndicate the
story to your target audience. When broadcasting your content on social
media, it is very important to maintain the style of your brand as well as create
content that fits the style of different platforms.
3. Find and cut your firewood (Research your Content Topic)
Now that you know whom you are writing to and where you will be
publishing the content, it’s time to research and develop your topic. Even if
you are an expert on the topic of interest, it is still critical to conduct research
because of possible changes or new trends that you may not be aware of.
Compiling the most up-to-date and relevant information will make your
content stronger and more meaningful to your audience.
4. Build your campfire (Outline and Develop your Content)
After researching and compiling related information, you can begin to create
an ideal outline and develop your content. When building your content you
should keep your target audience and medium in mind, as they will help to
form your tone and style. These will change depending on
the who, what and where of your content so it is very important to be
extremely knowledgeable about all three.
5. Light your fire (Publish your Content)
With the content developed, you have now reached the point of publishing.
Before doing this, it is key that you ensure that your content matches your
ideal outline and is both understandable and concise. To increase the
capabilities of your content you may also want to engage in SEO best
practices, such as creating tags, metadata, keyword links and even adding
attractive graphics.
6. Add wood…and lighter fluid…to build your fire brighter (Attract and Engage
your Audience)
Publishing your content is not the final step, as engagement with your
audience is your overall purpose. As your audience interacts with the content
on different platforms, it is important that you continue the conversations to
further engage and create unique connections.
To use content as a marketing tool, it is important to build interest in your brand and the
story of your business. By following these steps, you can ensure that your campground
will be filled with campers.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

13

Chapter
7.
Outsourcing
Content
to
an
Agency:
When
and
Why

As businesses face new marketing challenges, they must search for solutions outside of
their own companies. In a recent webinar, Social Marketing & The Resourcing
Challenge: Outsourcing vs. In-House, sponsored by ORACLE, a panel of professionals
discussed when and why a business should outsource content marketing to an agency.
The panel agreed that, though the answer depends on the overall goal of the company, an
agency could offer you:
TIME
Time is something that you can’t afford to take away from your business,
especially if it is a small or medium-sized business. When you and your team
are already wearing multiple hats, it is more efficient to your business to find
a new head than to add to your own. Mikal Belicove, contributing writer for
Forbes Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine, said that your business should
outsource to an agency because they “take the time.” Instead of taking time
and focus away from your business and core competencies, an agency can do
it for you.
EXPERTISE
With so many moving parts in your business, it is difficult to focus on specific
aspects. An agency acts as an extension of your marketing department that
focuses on these specific campaigns and strategies. Chris Vaughn, Director of
Marketing at DigitalSherpa, spoke about how two years ago, agency expertise
was in question, but now “they’re taking content more seriously.” Because
digital marketing constantly changes, it is important to use the best practices
of an agency to conquer your challenges. Rob Key, CEO at Converseon, said
that a “strong role of agencies is to bring expertise about SEO and content.”
THE 5TH P
As technology has advanced, the marketing mix has evolved to not only
include promotion, price and place, but also – participation. When, before,
your company’s engagement with an agency was limited, there was no sense
of participation. Now, it has become the most important aspect! “Outsourcing
doesn’t work without participation,” Vaughn said. With current technology,
agencies, especially those savvy in digital, have the capability of working
closer than ever with companies. To work most efficiently, an agency must
have a strong relationship with your company.
Though agencies can offer these aspects to your business, sometimes deciding whether to
stay in-house or to outsource is a more difficult decision. When asked when, Belicove
talked about the two best times for a company to resource an agency.

1. When a business is getting started, or is still young, an agency can most
efficiently help integrate participation into their marketing mix. This is a great
time to form a relationship with an agency because it allows them to learn about

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

14

the core competencies and culture of the company. Key said that agencies can
“bring training” and are most effective when they are “embedded in your
culture.”
2. Also, businesses will always need content, especially now that content marketing
has grown into one of the most vital aspects of digital marketing. An agency can
help by applying their best content practices to a companies needs. One thing that
Belicove sited to be true is that it is and always will be “easier to edit than to
create content.”
When it comes to whether your business should stay in-house or outsource content, it
mostly depends on your specific needs and resources. If you decide to outsource to an
agency, be sure that their culture reflects your own to ensure that you create an effective
relationship.
Chapter
8.
Collaboration
of
SEO
and
Content
will
lead
to
a

Quality
Internet

The behavior of Internet users has changed, which makes the evolution of how content is
searched and ultimately presented inevitable. The questions that you have been
wondering are how and when this will happen. Though the answer to the first question is
more difficult to explain, the answer to the second is simple – now.
To understand the need for collaboration between SEO and content marketing, you must
recall why these are important tools in the first place. In his eBook, “Why Search Engine
Optimization is Dying and the 21 New Rules of Content Marketing for 2013 and
Beyond”, Randy Milanovic, Principle at KAYAK Online Marketing, discusses the
impacts and failures of SEO. In reference to the conception of search optimization,
Milanovic writes:
“Although most of us take Google and the other search engines for granted now, take a
moment and consider why it is they even exist at all: because the Internet is too big, and
growing too quickly, for people to always have a good idea of what it is they are
searching for.”
The purpose of search optimization is to create a better user experience, which is exactly
the reason that a change must occur. SEO has always taken a quantitative approach,
rather than a qualitative one, which has led to content and sites with poor quality links
and stuffed keywords to be ranked higher than others. For a while this was acceptable and
bad SEO practices were tolerated, but as of recently this is completely changing.
With the increase in social and mobile use, the behavior of Internet users has changed
from wanting as much information as possible to wanting the best information rapidly.
Because of this, content marketing began to be recognized as a necessity and rose to the
throne. As much as it is used, and mostly used incorrectly, I must admit – content is king.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

15

This is not to say that SEO is no longer important. The fact is that great content is only
powerful if it is findable, making search engine optimization, in terms of the digital
realm, queen.
This behavioral change in users has not only impacted the way that businesses optimize
their content for search, but also the way that search is conducted itself. With importance
being focused on the quality of content, rather than quantity, Google has altered their
search algorithm. Matt Cutts, Head of the Webspam Team at Google, announced the
rollout of the new algorithm, Penguin 2.0.
This updated algorithm does a better job of removing spam links and is leading to more
sophisticated links. There has also been an update to their Panda algorithm, which ranks
high quality content and sites more efficiently and creates a better overall user
experience.
These changes greatly impact the approaches and practices of SEO professionals as well
as Webmasters. In an attempt to develop a more quality Internet, these algorithm updates:
• Create a more sophisticated link analysis
• Identify hacked sites more effectively
• Give more information and feedback to Webmasters
• Detect authorities easier and rank them higher
• Lead to more high quality writing
In reference to these changes in search, Milanovic writes:
“…they are doing more to look at your site the way an actual person would, and making
common-sense judgments that go far beyond a few links and meta-tags. What’s more,
they are ignoring or even penalizing companies that are going too far to influence their
ranking.”
Ultimately, smarter users have led to the need for smarter algorithms and marketing tools.
Though it has been speculated, SEO will not die, rather it will be coupled with content
marketing to enhance the overall framework. All of these changes are leading to a better
user experience and will result in a more quality Internet.
Chapter
9.
Content
Marketing:
5
Tactics
You
Haven’t
Thought
of

Yet

Though
content
is
king,
it
wasn’t
until
certain
aspects
of
marketing
grew
further
into

the
digital
realm
that
it
finally
took
the
throne.
As
brands
have
grown
closer
to

consumers
through
social
interactions,
delivering
branded
content
has
become
vital.

Though
most
content
marketers
take
similar
steps,
the
problem
is
that
not
everyone

is
doing
it
right.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

16

Cultivating
and
creating
content
builds
loyalty
by
developing
awareness,
forming

inspiration
and
producing
engagement
with
consumers.
To
do
this
effectively,
you

must
implement
the
following
five
tactics
into
your
content
marketing
strategy.

1. Analyze;
don’t
Research

Everyone
conducts
research
before
creating
content,
but
it
lacks
many

aspects
that
you
will
need
to
ultimately
be
successful.
Content
development

is
resource
concentrated,
and
by
analyzing
the
results
of
previously
written

content
you
will
learn
much
more
than
you
will
by
simply
researching
topics.

Analyzing
results
will
allow
you
to
realize
what
readers
like,
but
more

importantly,
what
readers
dislike.

Think
about
it,
when
billboards
are
constructed
they
are
not
just
placed

along
the
most
beautiful
roads
and
scenic
routes.
They
are
built
along
the

roads
that
receive
the
most
traffic,
and
the
same
can
be
said
about
digital

content.
It
is
important
to
gain
insight
through
result
analytics;
discovering

what
content
receives
the
most
likes,
shares
and
even
comments
will
assist

you
more
than
just
researching
which
topics
are
most
prevalently
written

about.

2. Unique
isn’t
Enough
Anymore

Though
your
content
should
be
unique,
that
is
not
quite
enough.
Unique

means
rare
and
matchless,
but
it
does
not
mean
desirable.
As
content

continues
to
flood
and
overflow
the
digital
realm,
it
is
important
to
be

different,
but
much
more
important
to
be
something
that
rises
above
and

stands
out
because
it
is
desired
by
your
readers.

Content
providers
spend
too
much
time
trying
to
rewrite
popular
topics
from

their
own
perspective
and
too
little
time
thinking
from
the
perspective
of

their
target
audience.
You
are
using
your
skills
and
experience
to
form
an

idea
but,
in
the
end,
you
want
the
product
to
be
something
that
encourages

your
reader,
not
just
yourself.
It
builds
influence,
but
only
if
it
motivates
the

reader
to
be
inspired.
It
is
not
an
easy
task
to
create
something
that

persuades,
but
forming
such
an
emotion
is
the
only
way
that
content
is

ultimately
an
effective
digital
marketing
tool.

3. Content
is
More
than
just
Words

When
it
comes
to
writing
content,
the
words
are
the
easy
part
but
not
what

will
initially
gain
the
attention
of
your
reader.
We’ve
all
heard
the
cliché
that

a
picture
is
worth
1,000
words,
but
it
has
never
been
more
significantly
true

than
it
is
to
cultivating
and
creating
branded
content
that
is
sought
after.

For
example,
any
book
that
you
have
ever
read
has
been
because
of
three

things:

1) Your
professor
told
you
it
was
going
to
be
on
the
final
exam,

2) It
was
recommended
by
a
friend
that
had
already
read
it,
or

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

17

3) The
front
cover
image
grabbed
you
by
peaking
your
interest.

Words
take
on
similar
meanings
to
everyone,
but
an
image
can
form
different

meanings,
which
are
usually
based
on
an
individual’s
life,
beliefs
and

experiences.
As
consumers
become
smarter,
many
realize
that
the
majority

of
images
are
paid
stock
images
or
overused
creative
commons
pictures
from

large
sites
such
as
Flickr
or
even
Google
Images.
Instead
of
just
using
these

images,
we
have
reached
a
technological
point
where
it
is
easy
for
us
to

create
our
own
images.
We
are
the
ones
doing
the
work,
so
why
is
it
that
we

are
not
the
ones
shown
at
the
desks
signing
documents
or
smiling
in

boardrooms
with
executives?
Pictures
lead
to
higher
CTRs
and
are
very

useful
for
content
syndication,
and
by
using
unique
images
we
can
begin
to

build
better
and
more
influential
followings.
In
fact,
I
created
both
images
on

the
cover
of
this
eBook!

4.
Don’t
Phone
in
the
Call
to
Action

Even
though
the
term
may
point
to
it,
it
is
very
important
that
you
never

phone
in
the
call
to
action.
The
main
reason
that
we
include
CTAs
is
to

continue
the
conversation
by
challenging
readers
to
think
more
deeply
about

topics.
To
truly
create
engagement,
which
is
one
of
the
most
critical

marketing
aspects
of
content,
you
must
ensure
that
your
CTA
is
relatable
to

your
reader
and
that
you
genuinely
care
about
their
contribution
to
the

conversation
and
furthering
leads.

Many
content
developers
just
slap
together
a
question
or
two
and
link
to
a

page
on
their
company
website
or
even
an
email
form.
Backlinking
is

important,
as
it
brings
interested
readers
to
additional
information,
but
you

must
not
be
insincere
in
this
step.
Not
only
is
this
the
perfect
place
to
learn

which
readers
are
most
interested,
but
it
is
also
a
great
way
to
develop

insight
about
your
target
audience.
Ask
a
question
that
you
do
not
know
the

answer
to
or
that
would
actually
be
beneficial
to
know.
Give
them
a
reason
to

want
to
have
a
deeper
connection
and
nurture
this
as
if
they
are
already
a

paying
customer.

5.
Always
Share
and
Engage
Responsibly,
my
friends!

Every
good
content
marketer
knows
that
publishing
is
not
the
end
of
the

process.
In
fact,
in
many
ways
it
is
only
the
beginning.
The
reason
that

content
is
such
a
powerful
marketing
tool
is
because
it
gives
your
target

audience
insight
into
your
brand
and
allows
them
to
develop
a
unique

connection
that
they
may
have
never
been
able
to
do
before.
After
forming

and
perfecting
your
content,
it
is
natural
to
want
to
share
it
across
all
social

platforms,
but
it
is
very
important
that
you
think
first!

To
garner
the
best
reactions,
don’t
flood
every
network,
because
each
social

platform
has
different
qualities,
audiences
and
are
used
for
completely

different
purposes.
Instead
of
flooding,
let
it
rain
where
there
is
actually

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

18

opportunity
for
growth.
Engagement
is
a
part
of
lead
nurturing,
and
you

wouldn’t
want
the
same
message
to
be
sent
to
customers
that
are
speaking

different
languages.
A
new
female
boutique
wishing
to
gain
more
awareness

of
their
new
clothing
line
will
not
receive
the
same
reaction
from
Twitter
or

Google+
as
they
will
from
Pinterest,
or
even
Facebook.
If
you
are
planning
to

syndicate
your
content
across
multiple
platforms,
it
is
crucial
that
you

reformat
your
message
to
speak
to
the
different
audiences.

There
is
no
question
that
content
marketing
in
the
digital
realm
is
becoming
one
of

the
largest
tools
for
success.
According
to
Hubspot,
branded
content
generates
55%

more
website
views
and
according
to
2013
research
report
conducted
by
Content

Marketing
Institute,
91%
of
B2B
marketers
are
using
content
marketing
strategies.

The
overall
success
of
your
content
will
be
determined
by
your
ability
to
utilize

these
tactics.

Chapter
10.
The
Future
of
Content
Based
on
Today’s
Trends

Evolution is inevitable, and this is very true in regards to technology. As we continue to
interact with technology in different ways, we must adapt how it ultimately functions for
us. As the use of the Internet changes, so must the way that we create and present content.
Early adopters of Internet-based information were interested in detailed and lengthy
content. This demand helped to outline what has become the average blog post. An
average blog has a word count between 400 and 800, usually including multiple tags and
links, for SEO purposes, and graphics and images for aesthetics.
Because the majority of current Internet use has been adopted by a new audience, many
aspects have changed. Rather than demanding all information, the new adopters request
only the most valuable information. As a content marketer, I have noticed the rapid
increase in Internet use to be attributed to two current trends, social and mobile.
With two of the highest visited sites being Facebook and YouTube, and with 75% of the
world having access to mobile devices, it is obvious that the functionality of technology
is changing. These trends will dictate the way that content will transform in the near
future.
Though there has already been a notable shift towards microblogging, with the great
popularity of platforms such as Tumblr and Twitter, content will continue to move
toward a shorter format. This content evolution is due to:
1. The Rise of Scrolling
Even though there has been a large rise in Internet views from mobile devices, there
has been a significant decrease in time spent on individual sites and content. This is
due to users naturally wanting to scroll (literally) rather than read on their personal

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

19

devices. Because 80% of mobile time is spent on Apps, many companies are
developing their own to try to combat this issue and attract more users.
2. Shorter Content Attention Span
With the rise in content and constant updates on social, users encounter vast amounts
of accessible information daily. This has led to users exhibiting shorter content
attention spans, otherwise known as Social ADD. A symptom of this recent digital
illness is lower user comprehension and its main effect is a large decrease in content
effectiveness.
3. Emphasis on Unique and Desirable Content
The rise in scrolling and increase in Social ADD have led to an emphasis on unique
and desirable content. Rather than having to skim through information, users want to
immediately understand the main concepts and purpose. When a blog post is around
500 words, you can expect there to only be between 100 or 200 words of actual
unique content. By eliminating non-unique content and creating a much more concise
format, you can ensure that users will have an increased understandability.
For instance, in the near future you could read this post as:
The use of Internet has changed, due to a shift in audience and increase in social and
mobile. These trends have led to a rise in scrolling and Social ADD, which in turn have
led to a need for shorter content. To ensure that your content is most effective, begin to
write more concisely by eliminating anything that is not necessary to the main purpose.
Writing snippets is nothing new to content creators, as we are use to forming meta-
descriptions and even short blurbs when broadcasting content on social to entice readers.
Much like this strategy, the full content will be linked and accessible for those wishing to
read further. Other than being more effective, this will help to differentiate between
brand advocates, those that like the brand, and brand operators, those that actually
engage with the brand.
It is evident that the change in technology functionality and audience needs will lead to
an evolution in content. As current trends continue, solutions for these content problems
will need to be formulated.

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

20

Outro

As consumer behaviors and habits change and new trends arise, it will be interesting to
watch as digital marketing tools and practices do as well. Though there was speculation
that social media was a fad, its impact on the daily lives of people and businesses are
proving to be much more than a short-lived movement. Content will continue to evolve
with the functionality of social and vice versa, which will lead to the continual adaption
of digital strategies.
Based on my experiences and knowledge, the distance between brands and consumers
will continue to shrink and the necessity of unique and desirable social interactions and
branded content will grow. Whether your own company or favorite company has begun
to design and implement digital marketing strategies yet, there will be no question that
you will need to soon.

Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
read
my
eBook!
I
hope
that
you
were
able
to
gain

more
insight
into
the
industry
and
look
forward
to
hearing
from
you
and
furthering

the
conversation!

Twitter: @EthanWarlick
LinkedIn: Ethan Warlick
Email: WarlickEthan@Gmail.com

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

21

References

Belicove, M. (2013, 04 16). Interview by M Fox []., Retrieved from
http://socialmediatoday.com/outsource-marketing-
webinar?utm_source=smt_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=webinar0
41613&reference=smt_email&inf_contact_key=3abc72e96ae2c6a3542997bb13f9
39f9c0a29391060263df056f9d3adbb06046

Cutts, M. (2012, 04 24). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2012/04/another-step-to-reward-
high-quality.html

Fitzpatrick, A. (2012, 07 17). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/mobile-phones-worldwide/

Islam, S. (2012, 12 22). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://mashable.com/2012/12/22/brands-win-content-marketing-2013/

Keady, J. (2013, 01 14). Interview by A Warren-Payne []., Retrieved from
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/61841-content-marketing-in-2013-what-the-
experts-think

Kessler, D. (2013, 01 14). Interview by A Warren-Payne []., Retrieved from
experts-think

Key, R. (2013, 04 16). Interview by M Fox []., Retrieved from
39f9c0a29391060263df056f9d3adbb06046

Koetsier, J. (2013, 04 3). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/03/the-mobile-war-is-over-and-the-app-has-won-
80-of-mobile-time-spent-in-apps/

Marketing. 2013. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved July 8, 2013, from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marketing
Milanovic, R. (2013). Findablity: Why Search Engine Optimization is Dying and the 21
New Rules of Content Marketing for 2013 and Beyond. Retrieved from
http://www.amazon.com/Findability-Search-Engine-Optimization-
ebook/dp/B00CMDQ9RG

An
eBook
by
Ethan
Warlick

22

Pullizi, J. (2012, 10 24). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/10/2013-b2b-content-marketing-
research/
Vaughn, C. (2013, 04 16). Interview by M Fox []., Retrieved from
39f9c0a29391060263df056f9d3adbb06046
Vaughan, P. (2013). 15 Business Blogging Mistakes and Easy Fixes: How to Fix the Most
Common Blogging Bloopers. Retrieved from http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-
13220818-pdf/docs/ebooks/15_biz_blogging_mistakes_ebook.pdf

Warren-Payne, A. (2013, 01 14). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
experts-think

Digital Marketing: The History of Social and the Future of Content

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Featured

Featured (20)

Digital Marketing: The History of Social and the Future of Content