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Every year seems to bring a new set of marketing trends, those “can’t miss” opportunities that scream out for attention. If we were to hop on every trends, we’d certainly grow dizzy from exhaustion. Nevertheless, there are some trends that we’d be foolish not to recognize.As we begin the last chapter of 2017, many companies are still working through the creation of a bona fide content marketing strategy. If that’s you, here are some hints: Native advertising continues to be the gateway drug to success, and mobile continues to be the flavor of every month.That said, Smart Insights reports that content marketing is THE single most important technique for driving incremental sales in 2017. In an industry that’s all about experimentation, some key trends stand out.Here are 10 content marketing trends that everyone is talking about.1. Brands Will Continue to Invest in Original ContentRecently, it became public knowledge that tech giant Apple is planning to invest of $1 billion in original content. Though some gossip states that Apple is making this move to take on Netflix, we believe there’s more on Apple’s mind than video streaming. As competition in this space heats up, brands need to stay relevant. Valuable, original programming can help companies grow an audience and keep current customers satisfied.Google is also purchasing original content from media companies and brands to fill in content gaps, while Facebook is investing huge amounts of capital on original video. Not to be outline, online shopping giant Amazon will perhaps be the largest investor of all. Though the consequences remain to be seen, one thing is for sure: content marketing is taking the spotlight.2. Transparency Will Reign King (or Queen)Consumers are becoming increasingly desensitized. We want — and often expect — companies to be transparent, authentic, and dedicated to giving back. After all is said and done, however, many consumers are reporting frustration with brand advertising, environmental claims, charitable contributions, and corporate support for various causes. Though such efforts have been successful for some brands, this type of promotion is increasingly being perceived as desperate or dishonest.Moving forward, brands need to focus on transparency and disclosure to close this gap as much as possible. Enter: Influencer Marketing.Yet, working with influencers can be sticky. The Federal Trade Commission continues to take measures to protect consumers from companies who aren’t transparent enough, including work with influencers. Take what happened with Machinima. In 2015, the FTC slapped Machinima, a YouTube gaming network, with a warning for not disclosing paid endorsements to YouTube influencers.And this is far from the only instance. A quick Google search shows that a lack of disclosure and transparency have caused trouble for many brands. To build (and maintain) the trust of your audience, the next phase of influencer marketing and branded content needs to ensure that every piece of content created is transparent.3. Content Marketing Budgets Will Continue to IncreaseAcross the globe, companies are spending huge amounts of money on content marketing. What serves as great news for content marketers also presents challenges for businesses with a limited staff. This is propelling the likelihood that companies turn to freelance writers and others who can produce content for a price.4. Content Marketing Duties Continue to OverlapOften, it’s difficult to determine exactly who is in charge of content within a company. Roles and duties shift within marketing departments and even in other areas of the business. PR and communications may have separate content creators, social media managers, and other writers that are not integrated with the official content team, leaving no one really in charge. Such disarray can lead to a very disjointed content strategy.5. Internet of Things Will Take Content Off-ScreenCustomers are no longer limited to the screen in the way that they view content. Although different content formats have long been available, the IoT has made it so content is interwoven into our lives in brand new ways. Consider how we current interact with technology, such as Apple’s Siri. When users speak, Siri responds with call-and-response content wherever and whenever they need it. Alexa, Amazon’s voice service, is becoming a digital doorway to content as well.Many organizations already use Alexa to share content with their audience beyond a laptop, tablet, or cell phone screen. For example, the American Heart Association uses Alexa to provide details about performing CPR, including step-by-step information on how to perform the process in an emergency situation. This content is further embellished with information about warning signs of a stroke and heart attack.With IoT, most content is becoming digital. Beacon-based proximity marketing, sensors, device pairing, and other features usher in the opportunity for marketers to invest in endless types of content interaction. This type of highly targeted content can help you reach your audience at the right place and at the right time.6. Pre-Recorded Video is So… YesterdayIt isn’t exactly time to write the obituary for pre-recorded video, yet it is being overshadowed by live video. According to Buffer, 80 percent of marketing respondents to a 2016 survey want to create more video content, with 42 percent specifying live video as their preference.While live video really exploded in 2017, we predict that it’ll become even more mainstream in 2018. According to Facebook, users spend three times more time watching live videos than videos that are pre-recorded. More, they comment 10 times as often during live videos. A Livestream survey confirmed this, with 80 percent of respondents indicating a preference for live video over reading a blog post. This presents modern-day marketing specialists with a unique chance to hop on the live video bandwagon before competitors do.7. Blurred LinesIf you look at how content has changed over the past decade, you’ll notice that it has evolved outside of its original “container” of owned media. As social media expands, as well as the ways we interact with and engage audiences, the lines between owned, earned, and paid begin to blur so that they’re almost indiscernible from one another. Content can no longer be confined to these silos.With the entire buyer’s journey in mind, the content shifts to take on the form of all three approaches. This underscores the importance of each form working seamlessly together to support a company’s growth strategy. That means you must adjust your internal and external teams to handle content development, deployment, and promotion.8. Strategic DocumentationAsk a marketing specialist about the effectiveness of content marketing, and chances are he or she will be able to pinpoint what makes the cogs turn effectively. That’s because companies are becoming laser-focused on developing thoughtful content marketing strategies.In 2015, only 32 percent of marketers had a documented content marketing strategy. The following year, this grew to 37 percent. This year, however, the number has ballooned to well over 40 percent. Our prediction for 2018, then, is that developing an effective, efficient strategy will be a job expectation.To remain competitive in the upcoming year, what strategies will you include? You may want to consider more targeted content, expanded content, more efficient content creation, or other elements that will help you foster greater growth.9. Interactive Visual ContentWe all know that live video is engaging and responsive, yet there’s another type of visual content that allows you to craft an entirely different experience for your audience.Virtual reality.VR offers new opportunities for content marketing, as well as customer engagement. Shopify, for instance, has taken this to heart and developed a VR app that allows online shoppers to customize clothing from the comfort of home.International Data Corporation reports that, based on sales and forecast models, revenue for augmented reality will grow from just over $5 billion in 2016 to more than $160 billion by 2020. Revenue forecasts from Digi-Capital are equally optimistic, reporting an estimated growth to $108 billion by 2021.While the prospect of virtual reality may seem daunting, it will likely be worthwhile for anyone willing to give it a go. Forbes Global shows that up to 30 percent of consumer-facing brands will experiment with virtual reality marketing by the end of this year.Keep in mind that it isn’t solely for consumer advertising and marketing, however. Consider what the Golden State Warriors did when they wanted to recruit Kevin Durant to the team roster. Using content marketing in VR, they immersed him in the “Warrior’s Experience,” thereby placing him courtside at Oracle Arena as well as in the thick of talks with coach Steve Kerr in the locker room.10. Distribution, Distribution, DistributionWhile most marketers recognize how instrumental content is for companies now, what still remains uncertain is the means of which content is distributed. And though there are countless other blogs, newsletters, and email campaigns out there, the sure way you’ll have your message heard above the rest is through optimum content distribution.If you want the attention of the 2.789 billion active social media users, you need to adopt a strategic distribution plan. Smart brands are going to make investments in not only acquiring content, but in distributing it strategically through multi-channel approaches as 2018 unrolls.Think out of the box for profitable rewards.

Digital marketing agencies play a big role in helping personal brands and businesses make their mark online. Without the help of digital marketing, it would be difficult for a business to achieve its full potential – in terms of customer reach, relevancy in the industry, and branding.Brands do not grow overnight. They require marketing and advertising to establish their presence in the industry.Growing Your Brand with Effective Digital Marketing AgenciesSimilar to traditional marketing strategies, results from campaigns from digital agencies can be dramatic. Blogging can bring in 67% more leads compared to brands that choose not to do so. Conversion rates are also higher through online marketing efforts compared to traditional advertising campaigns.Effective Digital Marketing Agencies are AdaptiveMost brands invest in digital marketing agencies looking for immediate results. Afterall, they are paying for such services to improve their lead generation and brand recognition. However, a true effective digital marketing agency does not only deliver fast, they can also deliver accordingly even during changes in the marketing environment.A responsible agency will immediately adjust their marketing campaigns and inform their clients during significant changes in the digital marketing climate. They continuously test their own assumptions and provide high value to their clients, helping them get ahead of the competition.They will never stop testing and reworking campaigns and strategies to boost your brand’s ROI and maintain a balance between the marketing efforts and the results that come together with these campaigns.Creates a Balance Between Advertising and Content CreationAdvertising is an effective marketing strategy to connect to people for your business. However, advertising involves cost. The more people you want to reach out to, the higher your expenses will be. Although it is an essential factor required to market your business, there are other options in generating organic traffic and leads to your website without having to pay for advertising – content marketing and link building.If a marketer fails to mention the importance of link building and content creation for your brand, you can say that you are with the wrong partner to help you with your business. Content marketing is an essential area in digital marketing that fuels brands with “free organic traffic” from the web.In a generation that relies on the internet as its main source of information – for news, brands, ideas, and knowledge, failure to tap into content marketing is a waste of resources. Getting listed in search engines, for free, is only possible through content marketing and link building efforts.Communicates RegularlySuccessful online marketing agencies do not limit themselves with regular reports that they facilitate to their clients. On top of the reports that they do, they communicate regularly with clients, informing issues that require immediate attention or approval from the client’s side.A partner agency will have a hard time running a campaign for a client if they are not equipped with the right methods in communicating with their client. There should be a personal rapport between the team and the clients to ensure a smooth flow in the whole marketing processes. Communicating through digital means can be complicated at times, thus building and establishing relationships that would remove these communication barriers is a must.Digital Fluency and Strong Problem Solving SkillsDifferent clients require different types of marketing campaigns and strategies. Fluency in digital marketing, in all its aspects, whether in print, television and social media is a must. Mastery in the use of technology, together with the latest tools of the trade should also be one of the prerequisites brands should look out for when dealing with internet marketing agencies.The people behind a digital marketing agency should be able to adapt changes in the internet scene as well as technological changes in marketing and advertising efforts. If your digital marketing partner fails every time Google releases a new update, you might want to re-evaluate and consider looking for a different team to help your brand.Working within deadlines, recognizing and dealing with problems as they develop and quickly placing things in order during unexpected issues are strong points every successful marketing agency poses. Without problem solving skills, it would be difficult to help a brand achieve their goals and build a strong online presence for the brand.As a brand, take time to find the right people to trust for your digital marketing needs.Working with successful digital marketing agencies helps fast track your goals as a brand. Find one similar to your work culture to easily build a good working relationship and rapport with their team. With due diligence, you’ll be able to find a digital marketing agency that works for you.