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6 Content Marketing Trends You Need to Follow in 2017

6 Content Marketing Trends You Need to Follow in 2017

6 Content Marketing Trends You Need to Follow in 2017

For several years now, businesses just like yours have implemented content marketing strategies to increase leads, showcase thought leadership, reach new audiences, and expand brand awareness. However, while companies utilize blogging, social media, email, and other tactics, they have not taken the time to develop a thorough content marketing strategy that makes the best use of all available outlets and tools.

Earlier this year, content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi, discussed the correlation between a well-developed marketing strategy and success. “In almost every keynote speech I give, I ask the audience members whether their organizations have a documented content marketing strategy,” he shared. “Sadly, most do not. Our research tells us that those organizations that do have one, and that review it consistently, are more likely to be successful. Even though you might think this is basic, it’s not.”

You cannot deny the value in building a content marketing strategy for your small business, but how do you create one? Where do you even start? What do you include so that the strategy successfully accomplishes your marketing goals? A great place to begin with is understanding these six content marketing trends that will shape the way your audience interacts with your business in 2017.

Original Content

It’s happened to all of us: You’re researching a topic and you can only find one article with the information you need but it’s been reposted on a bunch of different websites. Those days are history. Businesses must post their own original content to engage with their target audiences.

Original content isn’t just unique copy. It includes visual content, such as infographics and photos, that tell a story and subtly convey your brand messages. The Internet is a multimedia platform, so you should expect your audience to want to engage with your brand through more than just words.

However, you are only going to see a positive return on investment if you work with writing and design experts who will deliver high quality imagery and attention-grabbing copy. Unfortunately, for too many years, the Internet was a dumping ground for poorly written content and terribly designed images but search engines are putting an end to those terrible practices. To gain SEO visibility and leverage social media engagement, your business has to put an emphasis on quality so that your content marketing strategy can gain leverage and work for you.

Influencer Marketing

It’s not enough for you to support your business. Others have to be behind it as well. For example, if you sell coffee mugs, you’d want to include user-submitted pictures of your customers enjoying your product as a promotion method in your content marketing strategy. If your business offers financial planning services, you would need positive reviews on Yelp and LinkedIn from your existing clientbase to influence others to work with your company.

Consider all of the connections and people your clients know and interact with regularly. Encourage them to share their satisfaction with the products and/or services your company offers publicly, whether it’s posted on Snapchat or shared via email. Inspire your satisfied customers to leave reviews, post pictures, and open up to their networks about how your company helped them.

Native Advertising

You’re scrolling through your Facebook news feed and among the pictures of your friends and family, there are posts from businesses you might be interested in. That is native advertising, and it is quickly becoming an invaluable tactic for a content marketing strategy. This is one of the best opportunities for engaging new audiences and generating new leads using the original content you’ve created. Insightful blog posts, narrative infographics, and shareable videos are ideal content to use for native advertising efforts across social platforms.

Mobile-Friendly

Internet conglomerate Google says 61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and, 40 percent visit a competitor’s site instead. With that in mind, how mobile-friendly is your digital presence? Do you use a responsively designed template for your website and blog? Is it easy to read email blasts your company sends to its leads and potential clients? Quite simply, if users can’t easily access your company’s website or read its emails on their smartphones or tablets, your content marketing strategy will fail.

Niche Content

What is your company’s specialty? What makes your business stand out from the crowd? If you own a pet grooming business, how do differentiate yourself from your competitors? Maybe you have an effective method for thoroughly grooming overly anxious pets. That niche skill might seem small to you, but it sets you apart from everyone else and makes you an authority. Build on that so you cash in on it with your content marketing strategy. Sell yourself as the pet grooming expert for jittery dogs and cats. People will line up for your services.

Personal Branding

As an entrepreneur, you are in a unique position because you are your brand. People are buying you when they purchase merchandise and/or services. Embrace this, and really become your brand’s proudest advocate. It’s not enough to have an Instagram for your startup. You need a personal one, too, that shows you embodying your brand’s values. It’s not about always selling. It’s about showing the world and your potential leads how your company has enlivened your life, and how it can do the same for anyone else. Take pride in your hard work, share it with anyone who will pay attention, and build a personal brand that will intrigue people into looking into your business.

Developing a content marketing strategy for any business is a massive undertaking, and after reading about these six trends, you are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed. However, there’s an easy solution to your content marketing needs. Alt Creative offers focused content marketing services that will increase lead generation and brand awareness. Let’s discuss the best content marketing strategy for your company today.

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