Jodi Harris is the director of editorial content and strategy at Content Marketing Institute and serves as editor-in-chief of its digital magazine, Chief Content Officer. Follow her on Twitter at @Joderama.
Though content marketers’ tools are expanding thanks to technology, the aim is the same: Create content experiences your audience won’t forget.
Looking to enhance your content experience in this unfolding world of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), advanced imaging techniques, and high-tech tools? Start by learning from these four enterprise brands that always keep the audience in mind.
Updated Aug. 12, 2020
I never thought I would say this, but I am getting tired of sitting on my couch, mindlessly scrolling through endless feeds of online news, entertainment, and reading materials in lieu of leaving the house and actually doing things.
“A blog? Oh, that’s so 2010.”
You’ve heard that blogging is past its prime, takes too much effort, and lacks the power to connect with today’s distracted, time-crunched, and tech-savvy consumers.
Sure, social media trends, interactive tools and activities, and storytelling techniques like video, voice, and (to a lesser extent) virtual reality have shifted content preferences and habits.
Why does your company create content? Who is it for? What will it do for them?
If you don’t know the answers, you need to figure them out. And you should do so before you create anything more for the company blog, website, newsletters, or any other content platform.
Why? Because if you don’t know what someone will gain from consuming your brand’s content, your audience won’t see a compelling reason to engage with it.
Marketers might shy away from addressing issues like racism, bias, and discrimination for fear of saying the wrong thing. But sitting on the sidelines of these critical conversations leaves influential consumers out in the cold – and a lot of potential revenue on the table. Before you take a stand, take some advice from these four diversity warriors.
Wouldn’t it be great to start your content marketing program knowing it will work as intended? How satisfying would it be to be confident it incorporates the insights, ideas, and focus to create stories that captivate your audience members and turn them into loyal customers?
While we can’t offer a magic formula that guarantees success, we can identify the key practice the most-accomplished content marketers adopt: They document a content marketing strategy.
How is your audience feeling these days?
We always want to learn as much as we can about our audience’s rational preferences, their logical needs, and their transactional behaviors. But their feelings? That’s something we don’t always take the time to ask about – let alone factor in to our strategic decisions.
The marketing landscape has never been more uncertain; but adopting specific skills and practices can expand your career opportunities. Three industry experts weigh in on steps you can take to evolve your role.
Unemployment is on the rise. The U.S. is in a recession. Everyone is wondering about the future. You can choose to sit back and wait for your next opportunity. Or you can take the reins and find your own path to success. Get inspired by these stories from content pros who ventured out in a new direction and rediscovered the passion in their content careers.
Nearly every brand has shared content about adapting to the reality of the pandemic. Admirable and effective (if somewhat repetitive), many of these messages have been delivered with sensitivity and shared responsibility.
But what about your brand’s content unrelated to COVID-19? If your other content doesn’t convey a similar awareness and sensitivity to this all-encompassing issue, you can bet it is affecting your audience’s perception of your brand. It could even undo any goodwill earned from your crisis-response initiatives.
