Content Marketing: A New Frontier
Today's consumer typically spends several hours online each day. That's the good news for advertisers and content producers. However, consumers will give only a few seconds to any sort of advertising. If advertisers want to reach them, they'll need a new skill: exceptional content marketing.
Considered a revolution in advertising, the relatively new frontier of content marketing requires advertising and content to merge into the type of information that a targeted consumer will not only find interesting but also useful. But how do you create impressive content for today's tech-savvy, mobile and time-challenged consumer?
No Clichés, No Cheesy Ads
As defined by Content Marketing Institute, "content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers...without selling." In other words, it's not the hamburger the fast food restaurants should advertise; it's the benefits that those restaurants provide busy, on-the-go families. The objective is not to be the stereotypical used-car salesman. It's to connect with your customers on a deeper level, offering information and articles that are often more relevant than the publisher's own posts.
Content marketers take platform, technology and audience into account when tailoring content for placement. Repurposing content, if done correctly, can reduce costs while maintaining engagement. For example, long-format video is best used in more social and engaged environments such as YouTube and targeted websites. The video can then be cut for pre-roll and other formats for wider distribution.
Content on the Go
In 2014, the web reached an important new milestone. For the first time, mobile access of content surpassed desktop usage. For the business world, this was a call to action. This news reaffirmed what many in the content marketing world already knew: strategic content marketing must include user-friendly, mobile access. The average modern consumer has a 4.7″ to 5.5″ screen on which to view your content. Content has limited time and limited space to grab user attention.
Great Articles Need Visual Representation
Content marketing should first and foremost include eye-catching visuals. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reported that the average consumer attention span is nine seconds. By grabbing user attention first with visuals and video, you're further supporting customer engagement.
While working with a major automotive company reviving a discontinued brand, one of our clients, VIDAPTIV, used content marketing strategies to customize and distribute video content from web influencers across social mediums. They did this through earned media and native advertising placements. The video content was then cut for :15 and :30 pre-roll video advertisements and combined with interactive banners, to reach both the wider target market and audiences with sequential brand stories.
Niche audiences and fans of web influencers will tend to be most engaged and have longer attention spans. Web influencers know their audiences best, so when possible, they should be included in content decisions. Advertisers can edit for more of a mass-market taste when repurposing content for wider distribution.
Ultimately, it's the responsibility of the advertiser creating the content to research their consumer, tailor its message and voice, and deliver a product that grabs attention and provides value. Successful content marketing creates a connection resulting in deeper brand awareness and conversion.
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