Content Marketing – Trends to Expect and Prepare For

This year has been one of the most compelling and in some respects convoluted in the history of online marketing. Of course, the biggest change to come along in 2014…not to mention of the last few years as a whole…was Google’s algorithm updates.In any and all cases, Google’s latest updates made it clearer than ever before that those favouring black-hat SEO will not get away with it…not a chance. But aside from this rather glaring and obvious lesson, what else can be taken away from the online marketing landscape of 2014 going into next year?    Rise of Video ContentWell, right off the bat it’s a foregone conclusion that video content will be an even bigger deal in 2015 than it was this year. Why? Well, marketing experts have come to the realisation that not only is visual media increasingly important for their campaigns, but video marketing has never been cheaper…or more accessible. For example, take a look at any single YouTube video of no more than 30 seconds that was made practically for free and had chalked up tens of millions of views.Rise of Google+Something else that’s 100% guaranteed to grow significantly is Google+, despite having been written off by plenty of folk as a failure in the making. It’s obvious really – Google has more power than a dozen Gods and invested a hell of a lot of time, effort and pride in its in-house social network. Do you really think they’re going to accept defeat and quit on it? Of course not – chances are we’re only seeing the beginning of Google+. This is reinforced by the fact that Facebook is for many demographics losing its appeal and huge chunks of the population are fast seeking alternative social and business networks to play with.Concentration on Focused Content These days, the general approach to putting out content is to make it available to the whole world and hope that at least a few readers bite. However, it’s becoming clearer by the day that there’s often more to gain from putting out more exclusive or targeted content that’s aimed only at those of genuine value to the niche or industry sector. It’s a pretty simple formula really – focused and exclusive content is by rights superior content as it isn’t trying to be all things to all people. And when you produce better content, you stand a much better chance of earning and retaining the kinds of numbers you’re vying for.Content Marketing Investment Will ExplodeIf you thought growth in content marketing this year was something, you haven’t seen a thing yet. As it stands, well over half of all businesses in the US make sizeable investments in professional content marketing having finally come to terms with its importance. The old ‘content is king’ cliché has never held so much water and will only grow in significance. As such, the overwhelming majority of businesses plan to spend more on content marketing next year than ever before – the industry is primed for an explosive year.Content Marketing Careers Will SkyrocketAnd finally, while it’s usually the mainstay of freelancers and the like these days, content creation is set to become one of the most important roles for businesses moving forward into 2015 and beyond. As such, the job market for such individuals has never looked brighter and investment in the best talent will see huge growth over the coming months and years.