A large majority of B2B and B2C marketers continue to rely on trade shows, direct mail marketing, advertising in industry publications, and distributor networks. While these marketing methods were once the sole source of marketing, they are now antiquated in today’s digital communication age. The has been a major shift toward web content marketing as businesses are finding it provides an easy way to brand and grow their audience. Inbound marketing techniques allow companies to take control of their audience by creating original content that directly informs the readers. Here are six online content marketing trends that will help you dominate through the year:
Google +, LinkedIn, SlideShare, and Outbrain
There are several social media profiles you need to create to build a large online audience. Google+ is a major player as you can link every piece of content you create can be linked to your profile. This allows a company to build their reputation in the industry and helps to cement your position as the “authority” on certain topics. Google + is now the second-largest social network as they have over 359 million monthly users. If you want SEO benefits, you must start paying attention to Google +.
LinkedIn continues to grow in the content marketing realm. LinkedIn allows you to generate qualified leads and provides a higher conversion rate from other B2B marketing platforms. Actively manage your profile and join groups where you can share content. Share all forms of interesting and engaging content that people in your industry will appreciate, and find value in reading. To make the content stand out, including pictures, links, and videos.
SlideShare is growing into one of the best places for SEO experts to list information. You need to build content around the search terms that are relevant to your industry, and currently dominated by your company. The content needs to be in-depth and long to provide the reader with valuable information. This is a great way to grow your company’s name, and build a stronger online presence.
Outbrain allows companies to connect their quality content with customers around the web. Links to your content will appear on authority websites like People.com and the Wall Street Journal. Interesting traffic is shared around the web, helping you build a larger audience.
Content Marketing is Bigger than Ever
Finding new ways to market to the masses is essential. Television and radio ads are not as effective as they used to be, requiring companies to think outside the box for new ideas. Content marketing is growing and is bigger than ever. Content is designed for a specific audience, making it targeted to the people you want to be in business with. Expect content marketing to continue as one of the most effective ways to establish authority, and gain trust with your customers. Inbound marketing has a plethora of benefits. By creating valuable, engaging content, you are designing a niche for your audience.
Mobile Marketing
Nine out of ten customers currently have a mobile phone. Using mobile marketing, a company can stay in direct contact with their customers. This will allow you to reach out to your customers instantly by sending an SMS message, or through the development of an app. You can send coupons, alerts, surveys, contests, and a number of other things that allow you to stay in touch with your customers. Creating a mobile-friendly website is another important aspect of effective marketing. Customers clicking on your website need to know they can access the information you are sending. If your website is not properly optimized for a mobile device, people will click off your site and move onto the next company.
Sophisticated Digital Targeting
Customers that have visited your site in the past need a reminder to come back. A great way to target your customers is through programs like AdRoll. This will allow you to display ads on websites customers are visiting. If they have viewed your site in the past, and they see an ad targeted to them, they are likely to come back.
Invest in Social Media
To reach out to your audience, begin with social media. Using social media allows you to stay directly invested in your customer’s lives. You can improve your brand awareness, and follow the social signals to know when it is time to reach out with certain marketing techniques. The major social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are essential but pay close attention to smaller sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube to generate great content.
Video Marketing is Growing
The last trend we are seeing in 2017 is video marketing. Creating an effective and meaningful video is one of the best ways to create relationships between customers and the business. Vine and YouTube are popular places to market your videos. Using videos on Snapchat and Instagram can help to grow your online presence and reputation. The ever-increasing demand for video is growing as people like to watch these videos on-the-go, and they are easy to share. Several brands are using them for short. 3 to 15-second ads to build a large online following.
Online content marketing is one of the fastest-growing trends in the marketing world. If you want to expand your online presence and build your reputation, start using the above tips. Effectively marketing your brand will build trust with your customers, and will ultimately increase your website rankings.