Content marketing has been the buzz-word the last few years. Many companies are making it a point to build up their content on the company websites and associated blog sites. Content can really take on a whole different level of thinking if you use the concept across other channels than just your online marketing channels. In fact, many companies will be using content marketing in more innovative approaches.
As I stated in the title of this article, my goal in 2015 is to take content marketing to another level. (Integration of content marketing concepts to other forms of marketing)
Brochures
In the past, our brochures have contained information about special pricing and information about our company. It was an introductory document that has frankly become old and stale. In 2015, the goal is to revisit our brochures and make them much more interactive. Provide information pertaining to the value of our services and how the information provided can have a direct impact on their company’s’ business. In addition, the new brochure format will be interactive and will direct clients where they can go for more information to assist them.
Website
It is time to get away from traditional names like blogging. Companies need to look at starting their own digital news company and provide their clients with the latest information on their services. Content marketing is about producing quality news information and not about whether you have an active blog page or not. People want to keep informed and blog is too general.
It is time to write emails that get people’s attention. Shorter messages with specific instructions or directions will be the new way to produce content through email messages. Today, almost all people who have a smartphone, check their email on it. Which type of emails do you prefer to read? Long emails or short emails. Typically, longer emails may have to wait till the person can pull it up on their laptop or desktop computer. Make your message simple enough and people will send you a reply from their mobile device.
Digital displays
The time is coming when monitors and digitized messages will be the new way to communicate. Hands-free messaging will be awesome for people to look up and see a message. This type of messaging could occur at your office, on a billboard or through streaming on your webpage. Again, brevity is the key, but yes from what I read and see this type of messaging is coming back. Have you been to an NFL game, college football game or professional/college game at a major stadium or arena. Digital messaging is all around us and getting more sophisticated each year.
Branded materials
Providing branded materials like pens, calendars, bottles, clips, etc. Some type of phrase needs to convey your mission to your clients. Come up with some phrase that uniquely describes your company. Check out the City of Omaha’s message – We Don’t Coast – This simple phrase has started to spread over the metropolitan area and local companies are adding it to their current company message.
Communicate / Share Distribute
Social media is a great channel for sharing and distributing content to others. The process doesn’t stop at just creating content. Content must be shared and distributed for it to have a chance to be of value to people. The great news here is that your content can be shared using many different channels. Measuring the effectiveness in this step is the key.
These are just a few of the areas I see as being important integration areas where content marketing principles could be used to help people be more aware of your company. Content marketing is much more than just a “search-marketing” technique and its time that more of us like myself find ways to adopt these concepts to other parts of our marketing strategy for 2015.
Where do you see content marketing going in 2015? Are you making changes with respect to the way you use content marketing?