Like any other industry, the world of content marketing is always chasing the next “big thing.” Unfortunately, for the brands out there just trying to keep up with the torrid pace set by content trailblazers, being on the cutting edge is quite the task. To help your brand stay in touch, and even pull away from competition stuck utilizing dated tactics, here’s everything you need to know about all the latest trends and developments that are shaking up the conventional content marketing approach.
The Rise of SlideShare
For most brands, content marketing is all about churning out blogs and promoting these offerings via a strong social media presence. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, sometimes you just need to cut to the chase and provide the facts in a clear, visible manner. As Mark Sherbin of the Content Marketing Institute points out, adding in SlideShare presentations to your content marketing campaign hones in on this concept in a powerful way.
Aside from providing your readership with easy to digest slides and graphic representations, Sherbin explains that the rise of SlideShare hasn’t gone unnoticed by the leading search engines. Just like your traditional website copy, optimizing slides on Slideshare not only creates a better viewing experience for your audience, it can also give your brand a nifty little SEO boost that you can’t find anywhere else.
Video Guest Posts
It’s no secret that having a byline on another reputable site is definitely good for your digital presence. However, what if you could turn that guest post into an engaging and vibrant video offering? According to JT Ripton of The Next Web, switching from standard guest blog posts to guest video selections increases your online exposure in new and exciting ways.
Naturally, you’ll need to focus on content and topics that translate well to this medium in order to truly thrive. However, if you can tackle a tough subject via a recorded demonstration or presentation, the sky’s the limit in terms of viral reach once this new audience gets a taste of your video guest post.
Digital One-Stop Shops
Another way your brand can stand out against industry competition is by completely removing the need for browsers to ever leave your site. As Ripton goes on to note, one of the more intriguing developments on the content marketing front is the rise to prominence of the “one-stop shop.”
Essentially, this approach turns your standard company blog into a full-blown industry resource that provides educational and informative entries related to relevant topics and discussions. In some cases, it might be easier to simply develop a standalone site dedicated exclusively to the needs of those looking for quick and easy answers to the questions that matter most. Either way, investing the time and effort into this approach is a solid way of staking out a spot as a “must-visit” daily site for those interested in your industry.
Look Beyond the Promotion Basics
Finally, as far as the promotion of your site and blog content goes, if you’re in the business of spreading the word about these offerings via paid search engine advertisements, it might be time to look beyond Facebook and Google for open ad space. While these behemoths definitely play a vital role in connecting users with your content, the data analysts at comScore point to a different brand as the next big thing in terms of paid advertisements and content marketing support.
By holding onto a 30 percent share of the search engine market, Bing Ads offers a very serious platform on which to promote your message. Obviously, you’ll still need to produce quality content to make this supporting process fire on all cylinders, but facing less competition and more opportunity by going with this search engine advertiser is the perfect way to gain a little extra reach. Once you’re good to go with your promotional plan, you can sit back and enjoy the increased site traffic and visibility garnered by making the most of these up and coming content marketing trends.