It’s December and that means that there are a lot of predictions for the coming year. Seems there is nothing like a fresh shower of trends to announce the festivities!
In this post I’ll share the most obvious trend I can spot. If you’ve missed it you’re probably not in content marketing 🙂 However, if you’ve read my earlier posts you’ll know I’m unlikely to stop there – I’m interested in what that trend looks like in reality.
One single trend for content marketing in 2013
The one trend I can see for content marketing in 2013 is that there is going to be more of it.
Not exactly a chrystal-ball moment is it 😉
Next I’ll explore what the rise of content marketing looks like inside companies. And also, how marketing is moving towards content marketing.
Marketers and content
Marketers will combine their skills in traditional marketing methods with a growing awareness that well-written content is worth gold – and that they need to be active on social media in some acceptable way.
They’ll try any or all of the following:
- use things like market segmentation to describe their audience like they always did.
- roll in “Big data” if the budget allows.
- find out what (social) media their audience uses. Nothing new there: go where your customers are. But where they are tends to change.
- get a content ‘desk’ going to collect, create and provide relevant content for every subgroup identified by digging through their (big) data.
- give every potential customer only the stuff that is interesting and relevant for them to make the ‘right’ choice.
Example: the presidential elections. Or if you leave out big data, you might recognize parts of the view of some marketing-minded bloggers like Jeff Bullas who treat social media as ‘out-posts’ to their blogs.
In this case businesses will edge their way into our consciousness to:
- Convince us they’re trustworthy
- Convince us they’ve something good to offer us
- Convince us it’s a good idea to part with our money.
Which is basically old school marketing but ‘powered by’ (big) data, social media and every other promising-looking new kid on the block.
Marketing on the move towards content marketing
At the same time, putting in a firm basis for their ‘push marketing’ methods by setting up some kind of structure to ensure there’s always content to share will mean (the start of) a content strategy.
Once that basic content strategy in place, we’re likely to see a convergence of market approaches and marketing methods in the coming years. I’m talking hybrid forms of marketing.
Right now marketers are getting to grips with the concept of content marketing. As in: apply old-school marketing to content. Once they’ve done that they’ll realize there’s more to be had just around the content marketing corner.
What marketers – and their CMO – need to get used to
Content marketing means you’re investing time and effort in the customers of ‘tomorrow’. Much later than that actually, because your aim is for them to turn to you for advice as easily as shop at their regular supermarket or favorite webstore.
+ Who would you go to for tips on how to use Twitter?
+ Who’s your number one for anything to do with new legislation?
Whatever your expertise is, you want potential customers to get your name and picture rather than anyone else’s. But there’s more than that:
- you want them to be familiar with your knowledge, your way of approaching topics, and your opinions. They’ll come to know what to expect from you and knowing that, come to you for help. At least that’s the idea 😉
- To this end, you show your expertise and your willingness to share what you know.
- Once you know they need your help you’ll be able to show them how you solved relevant issues for others.
How well you do all of the above helps determine your ROI.
I really hope marketers are going to get serious about content marketing. If they don’t, here are the reasons in Joe Pulizzi’s article.
I hope you enjoyed this post – if so, please share it! Or add your thoughts in a comment about content, marketing, or content marketing – I promise to reply to anything non-spammy 🙂
Content Rambler 
Your post inspired me to write a psychic post for 2013. 😉
It’s nice to inspire! A psychic post from you sounds great, I’ll check your blog soon and see it 🙂
“active on social media in some ACCEPTABLE way” – it amuses me you had to throw in the ‘acceptable’ because the inclination of marketers is unacceptable. They must rethink their original impulses, I reckon.
You’re very into marketing. Do you work in it? I remember wanting to work in an advertising office – & found the pay was crap & there was no place for me but as a receptionist (that was years back).
Interesting stuff… again.
Yes, I did need to put in the ‘acceptable’ bit 🙂 I’m into content (or information, depending on the organization and team) and always have been. Rather closer to marketing than I used to be though.