Critical Links for Content Creators and Smart Marketers
Understanding emotions to create better content
«We are entering an era of marketing that is much more ambiguous, subtle, and not nearly as heavy-handed as it has been in the past» says Kelsey Libert.
Even if the word “emotion” in digital marketing is quite abused, she lists some good points (with data support) that you should care about.
Marketers are no longer in charge of what people see. If you want to get people’s attention, contribute something worthy of consumers’ time and emotional investment.
» Research: The Emotions that Make Marketing Campaigns Go Viral
Understanding influence value
To be popular does not mean to be influent, remembers Danny Brown. How are brands working with influence, and does it still matter in marketing today? «If we, as marketers and brands, are looking to truly understand what drives actions in people — the definition of influencing someone — then we need to understand much more than a tweet or social network update.»
» Does Influence Marketing Have a Future?
Why you can’t use social media effectively without producing original content
«The goals of content marketing are consumption, then behavior. The goals of social media are participation, then behavior» states Jay Bayer explaining differences between content marketing and social media. «The confusing thing today is that as social media expands, brands need to create content to populate these channels.»
He collects a number of clear and useful articles around this difference and how we should develop more effective marketing and communication strategies. Read the full article: Here’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Social Media
And if you’re looking for something more on how to disseminate your content — or “the art of content hustling” — read The One Big Thing Some of the Best Content Marketers Forget.
Developing a content strategy that works
«The goal of content strategy is to quickly and effectively drive the customers from awareness to interest to desire to action by providing the right content for each stage» says Dalia Lasaite. «However, creating content can be very time-consuming and expensive, especially if you don’t have a large budget and a content marketing agency at your fingertips.»
Her article offers a very detailed list of strategies and how-to: How to Create Better Content Using the Conversion Funnel Approach.
A step beyond content: contribution marketing
«Some brands», says Chris Walmsley «are taking their approach one step further than entertainment, though — using their communications to offer a meaningful contribution, whether social or individual; functional or emotional. Content is just one part of this much wider trend.»
It’s all about trust, he says: «Perhaps the most notable aspect of contribution marketing is that it genuinely is mutually beneficial, and creates relationships set to last.»
» How brands can move beyond content marketing
See this article on Medium