You may have heard the expression, \u201cContent is king.\u201d (Or queen.) At ACS, we believe that\u2019s absolutely true. Great websites, great marketing, and great results all begin with great content.<\/p>\n
Content can help your business grow, when you use it the right way. Welcome to the world of \u201ccontent marketing.\u201d In this post, we\u2019re going to tell you all about what content marketing is and what to expect from companies on the cutting-edge content marketing this year.<\/p>\n
Your customers expect a lot from you. Sure, they expect exceptional service and great products. But they also expect you to show off your expertise. They need to know that you\u2019re the absolute best company for their project. That you have the skills and experience to deliver what they need, on time and on budget.<\/p>\n
This type of marketing takes many forms. Emails, white papers, e-books, blogs, podcasts, social media posts, infographics — you name it. It\u2019s all about giving your customers something valuable, usually in exchange for something from them. The content itself is valuable to the customer, and the customer\u2019s contact information is what\u2019s valuable to you.<\/p>\n
Of course, it\u2019s really about more than collecting email addresses. In the long run, content marketing helps you build trust with customers. It shows them that you know what you\u2019re talking about. You\u2019re a leader in your field, and customers should trust you to do great work for them.<\/p>\n
Content marketing isn\u2019t a new idea. It\u2019s been around for a while, and some brands are taking big swings to make their content stand out. In 2018, we expect to see more content across more channels, including branded podcasts and live videos. Here are just a few content marketing trends to look out for this year.<\/p>\n
1. Voice Search <\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Content Marketing Institute, we\u2019re in the middle of a \u201cverbal revolution\u201d<\/a> when it comes to digital marketing. What does this mean? And why should you care?<\/p>\n Basically, more people are relying on devices like Amazon\u2019s Alexa and Google Home to search the internet. You can say something like, \u201cfind pizza near me.\u201d And the ever-helpful Siri will give you her best guess.<\/p>\n This huge jump in voice search affects SEO, or search engine optimization. (SEO refers to strategies that help your website show up in on the first pages of Google results organically, rather than paying for ad space.)<\/p>\n Marketers will spend 2018 figuring out how to align their content with voice search results. For instance, people talk differently than they type. So, you may want to orient your content around a full question (voice search) rather than a single keyword (traditional search).<\/p>\n 2. Branded Podcasts<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond audio assistants, some content marketers are getting into the world of podcasts. Unlike broadcast radio, podcasts pop up on smartphones and desktops. These audio stories and shows have a growing community of avid listeners.<\/p>\n One major player in this new space is Gimlet Creative<\/a>, the advertising division of the podcast production company Gimlet Media. Now owned in part by WPP, Gimlet Creative helps brands like Microsoft, Gatorade and Spotify create long-form podcast content.<\/p>\n