As 2017 approaches, now is the time to refine your strategy and identify 2017 priorities. The Orlando content marketing experts at On Target Web Solutions know that content marketing could literally transform your marketing impact in 2017. Content marketing allows you to reach your audience in an entirely different way. We’re presenting our predictions for 2017 trends so that you are readily prepared to kick off the new year with an influential, strong content marketing strategy.
More Dedication to Content Marketing
For many years, interest in content marketing has continued to rapidly grow. As more and more marketing professionals are using content marketing, they are realizing that fully committing to content marketing is yielding much better results. In 2017, we expect content strategy and commitment to skyrocket.
Actual Written Strategy
According to a recent study by the Content Marketing Institute, 62% of North American B2B marketers report that compared to last year, this year’s content marketing efforts have been more successful. Why? The top two factors are better content creation (85%) and developing or adjusting a content marketing strategy (72%). Marketers are realizing they need a strategic plan to guide their efforts. In 2017, more marketers are going to be developing a written strategy that they can reference throughout the year.
Greater Commitment
It’s not surprising that of B2B businesses that reported better results this year, 53% attributed that success to making content marketing a greater priority. Ninety-one percent of top performers report being very or extremely committed to content marketing. Like many things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out. We think that by the end of 2017, more marketers will be bragging about the importance of content marketing, just like we do.
Content Management Strategy
As marketers understanding and content marketing sophistication grow, they will need to overcome content management hurdles. A recent Seismic study found that, “less than one in five marketing executives indicate they are completely happy with their content management methods. Did you know that 60 to 70 percent of content created goes unused? In 2017, marketers are going to develop a management plan and timeline so they can oversee content all the way from creation to promotion. At On Target, we strategize, create, edit, and promote hundreds of pieces of content every month and we’ve got content management down to a science.
Focus on Distribution and Promotion
According to the founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe Pulizzi, there has been a shift between content creation and promotion. Five years ago, 80% of efforts were focused on creation and 20% were focused on promotion. As the Internet becomes more and more dense with content, those percentages have flip-flopped. More focus is being put on content distribution and promotion than ever before. In 2017, content marketers are going to be finding new ways to promote content to the right audience.
Native Advertising
Again, the Internet is becoming crowded with lots of other content. This makes it hard to reach your audience. With the general distaste of in-your-face ads and the ad-blocker revolution, native advertising is making more sense for many brands. Native advertising puts valuable advertising dollars behind content that is useful and interesting to the specific target audience. In 2017, we expect to see many brands opt for native advertising over blatant product advertising.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing combines great content with valuable relationships. Influencer marketing has skyrocketed to a trending tactic in the past few months, and we don’t see it slowing down.
New Platforms
It’s likely that most content marketers are using social media to promote great content, but what about the newer or more unique platforms? Alternative platforms can sometimes allow marketers to target more niche audiences, and when that is what you are looking for, who doesn’t want that? In 2017, check out how you can create amazing content for platforms like Periscope, Snapchat, and Reddit.
Interactive Content
We’ve all heard it a million times. Video is ruling the world right now. But, what if we could take content a step further? People love video because it engages their senses. In 2017, we suspect more marketers will take advantage of completely interactive content like live streaming, where people can actually interact with the hosts, virtual reality, which engages the mind, and online quizzes, which are easily shareable and customized to user’s choices.
Measurement
As more marketers fully embrace content marketing, they need the measurement and analytics to back them up. Measuring content marketing ROI is one of the most challenging aspects of content marketing for most, but we expect more marketers to grasp content marketing ROI in 2017. Check out our blog which explains how you can calculate content marketing ROI.
For marketers, there is a lot to look forward to in 2017. Content marketing continues to grow in importance, and there are always new and better opportunities to employ great content. Whether you need some help getting your strategy down on paper, need great content to feed your strategy, or need someone to take over content management completely, On Target Web Solutions has you covered in 2017. Contact our Orlando content marketing experts today!