Business communicators have been doing content marketing, in one way or another, since we’ve been doing marketing. But digital technologies and social media have changed the game. We’re now under pressure to produce, distribute and measure more content, more often on more platforms than ever before. Our content isn’t just vying for attention with the other guy’s white paper; it’s competing with cute kittens and screaming goats. And even though businesses are dedicating about a third of their marketing budgets to content, most of us still don’t have enough time or resources to keep up. In this presentation for the Omaha, Nebraska IABC Communicators Camp, Carmen Hill shares the latest content marketing trends, along with ideas for focusing your content strategy and standing out in the stream. Content marketing may be at the peak of the hype cycle, but it’s never too late to learn a few new tricks.
7. Holy cats! Can you say
branded content’?!
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8. “A strategic marketing approach focused on
creating and distributing valuable, relevant and
consistent content to attract and retain a clearly
defined audience—and ultimately drive profitable
customer action.”
~ Content Marketing Institute
What is content marketing?
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11. 86% of B2B companies are
using content marketing.
2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
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12. 77% of B2C companies are
using content marketing.
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2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
13. 70% of B2B companies
are creating more content
than a year ago.
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2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
14. 69% of B2C companies
are creating more content
than a year ago.
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2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
15. 55% of B2B marketers
plan to spend more on
content marketing in
the next 12 months.
2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
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16. 59% of B2C marketers
plan to spend more on
content marketing in
the next 12 months.
2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs
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17. Gartner Digital Marketing Hype Cycle
Content marketing: ascending the “Peak of Inflated Expectations”
Peak of inflated expectations
Plateau of productivity
Trough of disillusionment
Technology trigger
Slope of enlightenment
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18. Mark Schaefer
Content Shock: The
emerging marketing
epoch defined when
exponentially increasing
volumes of content
intersect our limited
human capacity to
consume it.
http://www.businessesgrow.com/2014/01/06/content-shock/
24. “While there is certainly buzzworthy
content out there, some of which is
even snackable, I do think content in
general could be more relevant, more
bite-size, and make a stronger brand
impression with trending keywords and
a more responsive design…”
25.
26. This is not exactly new.
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27. Doug Kessler called it back in 2013…
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You can find the rest of Doug’s slideshare here.
28. More content is not the answer
• On the average website 0.5% of the content
drives more than 50% of the traffic.
• Studies suggest that as much as 70% of
marketing content goes completely unused.
• The real problem is volume and poor quality
(in other words, too much crappy content).
~ Michael Brenner, “Is Content Marketing a Sustainable Marketing Strategy?”
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29. So what are we going to do about it?
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30. Spend more & work harder?
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32. Spend & work smarter
• Be first
• Be different
• Be strategic
""
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33. Spend & work smarter
• Be first
• Be different
• Be strategic
"
@carmenhill | #commcamp
34. Spend & work smarter
• Be first
• Be different
• Be strategic
"
@carmenhill | #commcamp
35. Be first
Early adopters earn the advantage.
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36. Be first
In content marketing, there’s no
such thing as “fashionably late.”
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37. Early to online advertising
1994: AT&T runs the first banner ad and gets a 44% click rate!
Today? It would be more like 0.1%
http://mashable.com/2013/08/09/first-banner-ad/
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42. “The unexpected nature of
something completely new
breaks through the filters.
~ Eric Wittlake
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43. “By the time something is
broadly recognized as the
next great opportunity, it’s
really just table stakes.”
~ Eric Wittlake
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44. “The investor of today
does not profit from
yesterday's growth.”
~ Warren Buffett
46. “Your content has to be
fun, be funny, look great...
You’ve got to stand out
and aesthetics are
critical.”
~ Lee Odden, Author, Optimize
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47. Words matter (a lot), but they’re not enough
• Consumers are 44% more likely to
engage with brands if they post
pictures than any other media.
• Visual content increases impact.
o Whitepaper: 8,000 views
o SlideShare: 350,000+
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51. “One of the biggest misconceptions
in B2B marketing is that you have to
take yourself so seriously all the time
and not have any fun.”
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53. Funny: yes, even in B2B
@carmenhill | #commcamphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1xKpm0nURk
54. “Even if you sell technology
or toasters or apartments or
apps, your story is about
people.”
~ Ann Handley, Author, Content Rules and Everybody Writes
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61. “It’s not about finding the
right lure. It’s about
finding the right pond.”
~ Tom Webster, Edison Research
62. Who does your
audience listen to?
Extend your reach by
engaging and
earning the trust of
relevant influencers.
Leverage
1: the action of a lever or the "
mechanical advantage gained by it
2: power, effectiveness, e.g., trying to gain
more political leverage
~ Merriam Webster
69. “Your rival for
online attention
isn't your
competition.
It’s everything.”
~ Jay Baer, Author, Youtility
70. Not interesting
Not useful
Useful
Credit: Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media and Content Marketing Institute
Interesting
Good for social media.
Bad for SEO.
Good for SEO
Bad for social media.
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71. Useful
and
interesting
Credit: Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media and Content Marketing Institute
Not interesting
Not useful
Useful
Interesting
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72. Credit: Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media and Content Marketing Institute
Not interesting
Not useful
Useful
Interesting
Goal: 80%
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73. Don’t be afraid to take (intelligent) risks
Safe
bread
&
bu+er
Innova0ng
on
what
works
Risky
8
0
Coca Cola Company’s 70/20/10 rule
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74. “The ones who thrive in
this new world of chaos
will be those who make
their own rules.”
Photo: Cleveland.com
~ Kevin Spacey