This final post will reflect on the impact of
digital on the marketing world namely how digital evolutions in the shape of
online communication between marketer to consumer and between consumers
themselves and the technologies enabling this communication have been and will
continue to impact content marketing. Also commenting on and concluding my
progress over the course of producing this blog.
Content marketing is a ‘pull’ marketing tool
‘essentially the practice of earning your customer’s attention through
value-driven content.’ Content may come in the shape of print, blogs, articles,
videos, images, infographics but whatever form it comes in its purpose is to
engage its audience. (Forbes 2013)
It is a means for brands communicate their
brand message to the consumer, providing information of value, interest or
entertainment, but not selling their product. It means relationship building
between the brand and consumer, enabling brands to develop positive reputations
and trust among their consumers and those who influence their consumers. (Fishkin
2013)
A report from the Content Marketing Association revealed 73% of
marketers approached believe they will increase or maintain their content
marketing budgets in 2013. Proving 2013 to be a year predicted to see increased
content marketing. (O’Reilly 2013) I think it seems this could be consequent to
digital developments and launches that I covered in previous blog posts including;
4G, increased mobile internet accessibility (London Underground Wi-fi),
increased usage of handheld devices, launch of Facebook Graph Search, better
technology behind augmented reality.
Content marketing has been present for some
time – Magazines relevant to a brands message and what interests their
consumers are provided by many. Food retailer, Kraft pioneered in online
content marketing with kraftfoods.com in 1992, a website providing recipes and
other relevant food information.
The evolution of digital has provided marketers
with technology that enables them to create every kind of content imaginable
and also channels to interact with their consumers and distribute their content
marketing through. (Penson 2013; Friedlein 2013)
The previous post on this blog highlighted how
developments in mobile technology and the introduction of 4G will push mobile
marketing to the forefront of marketers concerns. The explosion in Smartphone
and tablet ownership and, as mentioned, increased accessibility whilst on the
move means consumers are always online. This paired with the abundance of
social media usage today means the speed at which successful content is passed
on is immense.
‘Digital content has become the currency
that drives audience, engagement and eventually revenue opportunities. It
begins with the development of a good story and the capturing content worth
sharing.’
(Timmerman 2013)
Taking an SEO perspective on content marketing,
marketers can research what people are already searching for and develop great
content around keywords. (Forbes 2013)
Currently major search engines like Google and Bing would be researched.
However earlier this year, Facebook announced its launch of social search
engine ‘Graph Search’ and although in its infancy it aims to ‘provide Facebook
users with a deeper, more social search experience’ returning more relevant and
meaningful content. (Mendez 2013) The semantic search engine will mean that for
content marketers, they will
be able to gain a better understanding than they already can of what their
audiences want to see, enabling them to improve their content production.
(Applegate 2013)
Once created, individuals present on social
media continuously exchange videos, photographs and articles with one another
and the content they share will reflect them. Hence content marketing needs to be relevant to what an
organisations consumers’ holds of value to them. They want entertaining:
‘A more entertained audience is a more
engaged audience, and a more engaged audience is an audience that has a higher
likelihood of actually absorbing your message.’
(Forbes 2013)
Successful content marketing will engage audiences generating interest adding value and building a positive reputation and consequently a strong brand image.
As mentioned in blog post 5 (March 14th),
the impact of borderless communication and stakeholders has meant transparency
has been forced upon brands and business – ‘Brands no longer control the media,
consumers do.’ (Friedlein 2013) I agree with this statement,
I think obviously brands need to provide us with exciting content but once they
have it will depend on the consumers feelings on whether the content is a
success and shared. This can work positively and negatively for brands though
so they must be authentic to ensure no negativity.
Social networks arguably provide the most
instantaneous sharing of content, the richer media (photographs and video) most
popular, ‘A recent study showed that video and image
content had 94% more total views than content without.’ (Baybrook 2013) The
ease of providing this kind of content is changing the way marketers can engage
consumers compared to how they have done in the past. Printed simply could not
play, until we were presented with augmented reality. However, just providing
rich media content will not ensure content marketing success:
‘If you look at the brands doing content
well, they have gone well beyond just repurposing a TV ad for YouTube. The
content that works is designed for social and it’s also not just video, it’s
even about the quality of a response to a question on Twitter.’
(O’Reilly 2013)
Judging not only from statistics but also noticing from my friends and my own behaviour, social networks are so much more present in our daily lives than they have been. Observing my friends and my behaviour online on social media sites, interacting with brands and seeing what is retweeted and shared reflects the demand for entertaining content that grabs my attention.
A sound example of a brand at the forefront of
content marketing, which attracts and engages is Red Bull. Synonymous with
adrenalin pumping sports and experiences, their marketing continuously displays
content that resonates with their slogan ‘Red Bull gives you wings.’ They have
quality content present across the social sphere and have produced some of the
world’s most watched viral videos - more than 8 million people watched Felix
Baumgartner’s Space jump live alone. (Marketing Magazine 2013; Kervin 2013)
‘Red Bull Stratus
revolutionised marketing to the extreme. But stripped to its bones, this was
still an extravagant advert for an energy drink.’
(Klood
2013)
I know I couldn’t watch it live but the huge
amount of people that asked me if I had seen it and made sure I watched it,
shows the enormous impact that successful engaging content can have on the
world and how the audiences behaviour can turn a video viral almost instantly.
‘In a time where
people flit from one mobile device to another – all of which are connected
twenty-four seven to a global platform of news, information and live
interactive feedback, it is no wonder that marketing has become more imaginative.’
(Klood
2013)
I feel that over the course of posting on my
blog I got more comfortable with the site, blogger, and also feel my
understanding of digital has improved massively. If you look at my first post
on augmented reality compared to my last blog, I think it proves my
progression. During this process my interest in keeping up to date with current
digital and marketing trends has increased and I will continue to do so from
now on. This process has opened my eyes to the increasingly enormous role digital
plays in modern marketing. I will finish with a quote that I believe echoes
this thought:
‘Digital is a mindset rather than just an
executional approach. If you do not ‘get digital’ then you cannot be a modern
marketer.’
(Marketing
Week 2013)
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