The concept of content marketing isn’t new, but over the last decade the opportunity has increased tremendously with advancements in technology and changes in consumers’ mindset. According to the 2014 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks report, 58% of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing budgets over the coming year, and of this group, 10% plan to increase it significantly.
Here are five ideas to consider for your content marketing strategy in 2015:
- Create “How To” Videos or Podcasts
Podcasts and videos are becoming increasingly popular. They can be extremely useful for those who have complex businesses or products, and are a great way to connect and engage with your audience.
- Repurpose Content
Creating new content is time consuming and expensive. Your content marketing strategy should have a good mix of new, curated and repurposed content. Rework content from a survey in the form of a podcast, or redistribute a webcast video on YouTube and social media.
- Create Infographics
2015 is expected to be the “year of visuals” and infographics are a great way to make content more visual and engaging. If you have interesting surveys or research, repurpose the results in the form of an infographic for those who prefer visuals over text.
- Update Old Blog Posts Or White Papers
If your business is constantly evolving, or if new information has become available, re-write a blog post or update white papers previously posted. This will help demonstrate that you recognize the way that issues change and adapt your thinking in response.
- Join a Trending Hashtag on Twitter
If you don’t have a strong presence on social media, consider jumping in on a trending hashtag. Doing this will expose more users to your content and help connect your brand with the zeitgeist.
In order to break through the noise, and standout from other businesses, you need to be strategic about how you create and distribute content in 2015. Consider incorporating these five ideas into your content marketing strategy, but before you do, make sure they are right for your target audience.
– Michele Brancati
Photo via Flickr account DigitalRalph