This is a presentation I gave to the Wisconsin chapter of PRSA on 1/20/16. It provides a definition and brief overview of content marketing, and then explores 8 trends communicators need to be aware of in 2016: 1. Less content, greater impact 2. Focused content distribution 3. The dawn of the content brand 4. Deliver true mobile experiences 5. The rise of ad blockers 6. Accelerating changes of social media business models 7. Audience building becomes a big priority 8. Think like a publisher

1. 8 Trends in Content
Marketing
Chuck Frey
Director of OnlineTraining
Content Marketing Institute
@chuckfrey

2. DEFINITION
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing
approach focused on creating and
distributing valuable, relevant, and
consistent content to attract and retain a
clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately,
to drive profitable customer action.”

3. Focused on audience needs – NOT your brand or
products!
Requires a strategic approach
Customer personas are essential
Understand their customer journey
Nurturing: map content to each step of it

4. The right content
to to the right
audience at the
right time
DELIVER:

5. GOAL: change or
enhance
audience
behavior

6. Teach, don’t sell
(not like Ron Burgundy…)

7. CAMPAIGN
Longer-term play
– a different mindset
Rewards
commitment
and consistency
ROI hard to prove –
at least initially

8. Make your audience more
intelligent

9. Communicate
consistently

10. Trend 1:
Less Content,
Greater Impact

11. Content requires a
strategy
But 48% of B2B marketers still don’t
have a documented content strategy
Source: CMI 2015 B2B Benchmark Survey

12. More content
≠
more success
Without a strategy…

13. Let’s turn
the crank FASTER!
We’re getting pretty
good at this…

14. “Produce the
minimum
amount of
content you
need to create
the impact you
require”
-Robert Rose,
CMI

15. Trend 2:
Focused content
distribution

16. Typical scenario: Be
everywhere!

17. The social media numbers game
GROW
OUR
FOLLOWER
COUNTS!

18. Better approach: Focus and own
it!
MatPat = 5.7MM subscribers!

19. Trend 3:
Dawn of the
Content Brand

20. Excellent
content has
value
separate and
distinct from
the product
itself.
- Joe Pulizzi, Founder, CMI

21. A collection of content = valuable
asset

22. Leading content brands
AMEX Open Forum Adobe CMO.com Red Bull Red Bulletin
P&G Everyday Williams-Sonoma Taste HubSpot

23. How can you move in this
direction?
Extraordinary
Content
Consistently
Published
Customer
Focused
Treat your content program as a product

24. Trend 4:
Deliver true
mobile
experiences

25. Most mobile
content is
rearranged
desktop
content

26. Goal: Unique mobile experiences

27. Trend 5:
The rise of
ad blockers

28. R.I.P.
BANNER
ADS

29. Effects of ad blocking
Content
Native
advertising

30. Trend 6:
Accelerating
changes in social
media business
models

31. Don’t build
your house
on rented
land

32. Example: Facebook
Pages
Seen by less than 2%
of your followers
You must “pay to play”

33. Drive people to your owned
media
You don’t
control
these
channels
They can
change the
rules at any
time

34. Trend 7:
Audience
building
becomes a big
priority

35. Priority: Build your email
list
You OWN this!

36. Drive the right people to your
website

37. Offer gated and ungated
resources

38. “Steal”
audience
via paid
distribution

39. Target ads to match your
personas

40. Trend 8:
Think like a
publisher

41. The mindset of the
publisher

42. The mindset of the
publisher
Clearly defined editorial mission – who we serve and how
Well-honed processes to produce content efficiently
Focused on cultivating deep relationships with their audience
Editorial calendar and high content standards
Well-developed business model – multiple revenue streams
Content marketers can learn a LOT from publishers!

43. The publisher’s
“product” is an
asset that has
value $$$

44. Audience engagement via:
• Web content
• In-person events
• Print publication

45. Builds trust
Customers as heroes
Builds brand equity
“House” ads for
Deere
equipment/services/
dealers

46. Apply this mindset to content
strategy
How it’s
funded
How it’s
nurtured
LONG-TERM THINKING
How it’s
planned

47. Grow audience faster: Buy a
publisher

48. Brands buying publishers:
examples

49. Thank you!
Chuck Frey
Director of OnlineTraining
@chuckfrey
chuck@contentinstitute.com