Coca-Cola’s fresh take on the future of content marketing

I recently stumbled upon two interesting videos that are very dynamic, both visually and conceptually. “Coca-Cola Content 2020″ tells the story of that company’s vision for the future of marketing, shifting from traditional one-way messaging to embrace a more interactive model that makes the most of social media and mobile tools as a way to engage with consumers. The videos describes this as moving from creative excellence to content excellence, with a focus on finding contagious ideas that provoke conversations and earn a disproportionate share of popular culture.

In an interview with Online Media Daily, Jonathan Mildenhall, vice president of global advertising strategy and content excellence at Coca-Cola, explained that in order to meet the company’s goal of doubling the size of the business in the next 10 years, they need to engage people with fresh content on a daily basis.

All together, the video’s about 20 minutes. It’s definitely worth the time. Check it out and let us know what you think. Do you agree with Coca-Cola’s take on content marketing?

Looking ahead: Content marketing trends for 2012

Ever wish you had a crystal ball to help you figure out what direction your marketing strategy should take? She might not be a fortune teller, but in a recent article for Entrepreneur, Susan Gunelius offered some informed insights into what content marketing trends are expected to take off this year.

Crowdsourcing — Gunelius predicts that using crowdsourcing to create content will be popular for companies of all sizes in 2012. She expects to see more companies to tap into social media, like Facebook and YouTube, as a way to invite consumers to upload photos and videos related to the brand. This will help companies gain exposure without a lot of cost.

Acting more like the media — According to Gunelius, in 2012 more companies will catch onto the fact that traditional marketing messages don’t work on social media. Instead, they need to act more like publishers, providing more informative editorial content that will provide value to the audience.

Integration — Gunelius also stresses that it will be important for companies to have an integrated marketing plan that incorporates a variety of methods that all link back together. This allows consumers to choose how they want to interact with the brand.

We think Gunelius’ analysis sounds right on, but the content marketing landscape changes quickly. What other content marketing trends do you see on the horizon in 2012?

Content marketing mentality

Old school—offline ads

Marketing strategies aim to build brand awareness and loyalty, which is why some of the largest brand marketers spend more than 90 percent of their marketing budget in traditional ad spaces like TV, radio and print. Is it any wonder that marketers use traditional offline tools when they think the online options are limited to banner ads and search ads?

New school—content marketing

Gilad de Vries discusses common mistakes in the mentality around content marketing. Offline marketing is not the only way to create real branding. To make effective use of online branding, marketers need to re-envision how to use the online space—smart, interactive video ads; social media campaigns; and timely, relevant content in a multitude of digital formats give audiences an opportunity to engage with the brand.

Accountability

Companies need to think about a holistic content marketing strategy that allows success to be measured in a number of ways. Short-term, sales-driven results are not necessarily the most effective measure of a successful content marketing campaign. Content marketing strategies can include media assets that are not owned by the company. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other popular sites can be used to drive traffic to a company page and can themselves be valuable amplifiers of brand awareness. Anytime someone re-tweets, re-posts or blogs about a brand, consumers are getting a personal recommendation from someone within their trusted network.

Content, content, content

Businesses need quality content, regularly updated, to reflect current industry news and give consumers an opportunity to engage with the brand. In today’s world of immediate access, customers want up-to-the-minute information from their favorite brands.

Why inbound marketing is taking over

The rules about what works in marketing are changing, and this cool infographic from Voltier Digital provides an easy-to-understand guide to help companies navigate the road ahead.

As Lauren Drell at Mashable Business explained in her recent blog on the topic, traditional types of outbound marketing, such as TV ads, billboards and direct mail, are proving to be less effective as consumers find new ways to learn more about companies and brands and find new products on the Internet.

Technology has also given consumers new ways to avoid marketing messages that they find disruptive or intrusive. For example, according to Voltier’s infographic, 86 percent of people skip TV ads, 84 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds have left a website because of ads they felt were intrusive or irrelevant, and 91 percent of email users have opted out of a company email that they previously opted into.

Instead, companies are finding more success using inbound marketing, an approach that puts more emphasis on earning customers’ attention through blogs, podcasts, infographics, white papers and ebooks, as well as a strong social media presence.

Inbound marketing is also more cost-effective. According to Voltier’s infographic, inbound marketing costs 62 percent less per lead than traditional outbound marketing, which means a better return on investment. This means that providing quality content and using it in the right way can pay off in a big way.

New Google search algorithm promotes social media results

Activating social media networks can lead to increased visibility of quality content on your site.

Google changes its search algorithms 500 times a year, so what’s different about this newest change? According to Claire Cain Miller’s recent blog in The New York Times, this new search algorithm will have an effect on about 35 percent of all Google searches.

This new “freshness algorithm” recognizes that sometimes the most current information is coming from sites like Twitter and Facebook. The new formula will not dismiss Google’s commitment to show the best results, but will also bring up breaking news, recent reviews and, of course, social media updates early in the search results.  People want fresh information about what is happening right now.

For example, someone who searches the name “Kim Kardashian” in Google would come up with news stories posted today, the celebrity’s Twitter page and her Facebook page within the first several results.

So what does this mean for businesses? In addition to creating high quality content, blogging, tweeting and updating status in Facebook can significantly improve visibility of interesting, quality content. Especially with the holidays right around the corner, consumers are going to be looking for timely information to guide their holiday choices.

Content marketing: need writers, anyone?

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is becoming one of the most widely-used strategies among marketers according to “Why Content Marketing is King,” a recent article in Entrepeneur magazine by Mikal E. Belicove.  Content marketing, the creation and sharing of original content to educate current and potential customers about industry issues, includes online newsletters, blog posts, and white papers.  According to a recent survey by HiveFire, Inc., an online content marketing solutions company, 82 percent of of the 400 marketing professionals surveyed now use content marketing, which makes it the most popular form of marketing, above search marketing , events, public relations, and print, TV or radio advertising.  Companies who participate in content marketing can generate significant increases in brand awareness and loyalty at minimal financial cost.

How to maximize your content marketing efforts

Belicove uses his business expertise to offer “10 Tips for Better Content Marketing,” which include using great writers, making content evergreen, and using social media to distribute and diversify content.  We love Belicove’s recommendation to avoid cheap tactics like keyword stuffing and instead write genuine, quality content.  It appears that consumers enjoy making informed decisions and value companies that are forthcoming with relevant, timely industry information.

Calling all copy editors!

Helium Content Source works with a wide variety of publishing partners, and new opportunities are posted on the Helium Editorial Freelance Assignments page every week.

We’re looking for more than just writers, though. We also need knowledgeable, experienced copy editors to work on projects, and we’re currently looking to expand our pool of editors. Do you have an eye for detail and a passion for spelling, grammar and punctuation? If your answer is yes, visit the freelance assignments page to learn more about how to apply.

If writing is more your style, we’re also looking for writers for a number of different projects. Here’s a peek at what we’re looking for this week.

Among the assignments we have open now:

• Marketing writers who can tackle easy website copy
• Experienced professional copy editors for numerous content creation projects
• Writers with a specialty and expertise in writing about technology and computers
• Experienced financial writers for an ongoing bi-weekly assignment aimed at appraising merchants with the latest financial information that impacts their accounts
• Recipe writers who can write original commentary and stick to weekly deadlines
• Marketing writers with a background in banking
• Experienced marketing writers who can write witty, clean copy for daily coupon deals client
• Auto writers who can write informational articles, blog posts and know social media
• Bloggers based in Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal to write about local news, events and entertainment
• Writers who can write to African American topics of interest and concern, such as lifestyle, health, history, news and current events
• Fly-fishing and hunting experts
• Freelancers with a background in construction
• Writers adept at covering home improvement/construction industry needs

Helium Content Source freelance writing opportunities

Are you a writer or editor looking for freelance work? Helium Content Source works with many publishing partners and every week we post new opportunities for freelancers to write for our clients.

How do you find these assignments? Visit Helium’s Editorial Freelance Assignments page!

Among the assignments we have open now:

• Writers with a specialty and expertise in writing about technology and computers
• Business journalists with experience covering sustainable business practices
• Experienced financial writers for an ongoing bi-weekly assignment aimed at appraising merchants with the latest financial information that impacts their accounts
• Recipe writers who can write original commentary and stick to weekly deadlines
• Writers who can tackle computing subjects like cloud computing and business analytics
• Marketing writers with a background in banking
• Writers with a specialty in writing about military wedding etiquette
• Experienced marketing writers who can write witty, clean copy for daily coupon deals client
• Freelancer skilled at writing advertorials or white papers for major software companies
• Auto writers who can write informational articles, blog posts and know social media
• Bloggers based in Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal to write about local news, events and entertainment

If you are interested in applying for one of these assignments, send a cover letter, resume and two clips relevant to the assignment you’re applying for to experts@helium.com. Be sure to put in the subject line a reference to the particular position.

Helium Content Source launches Facebook page

Helium Content Source has launched a Facebook page to connect with our publishing partners, clients, friends, freelance writers and fellow members of the publishing industry.

Please take a moment to “like” our page and interact with and communicate with Helium Content Source on Facebook. On the Facebook page we post links to our blog posts, answer questions, share newsworthy articles about content marketing, content strategy, publishing, SEO and social media.

You can also connect with Helium Content Source on Twitter at @HeliumContent.

Quick tips for successful business blogging for online retailers

You’re the owner of an online retail store and want to drive traffic to your website. How do you do this? One great way is through blogging. Blogs are a great way to add content to your site. While shopping for a washer/dryer set, a potential customer could read a blog post on “How to properly clean a lint trap.”

By providing the potential customer information they’re not going to get at your competitor’s online store, you can keep them coming back for more. Here are some tips on how to create a great business blog.

Tip 1: Focus on your niche area

Write about news in your industry, products, anything your customers are talking about. If you can provide new things to share and give it your own flair and personality, people will keep coming back.

Tip 2: Make content click

Don’t forget time significance plays a huge role in clicking with your audience. Plan your content around seasons, events, holidays, trending news and pop culture. Blog posts that work well include curation posts (here’s what we’re reading this week), lists and how-to guides.

Tip 3: Timing & frequency of posts

The ideal time to put up a new blog post is first thing in the morning. If you’re writing a lot, post again after lunch and again in the evening. The more times you publish, the more views you can get. But, before you begin your blogging adventures, set an expectation for time and frequency. If one post a week is all you can manage, stick to it.

Tip 4: Plan your content in advance

Don’t fumble around trying to think up a blog post on deadline day. Plan a two-week content calendar with a list of ideas, but be flexible in case you want to write about something trending or fresh.

Tip 5: Help is handy

Don’t get overwhelmed. Look for help from guest bloggers, whether they’re employees in your company or you hire a ghostwriter. Helium Content Source works with a number of companies who use freelance writers to complement their blogging content. Different voices can tap into different audiences.

Tip 6: Promote, promote, promote

What’s the purpose of your blog? If you’re trying to build a larger customer base, then promote your posts on your website, through marketing newsletters, through social networking, at events and through press releases.

Tip 7: Don’t forget a call to action

Remember to provide a call to action at the end of each blog post. That can be anything from promoting your business’s Facebook page, to directing customers to your latest flier, or providing a coupon code. Do a soft sell. This shouldn’t be in your face.

For more information about business blogging, check out these great articles:

11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging
7 Blogging Mistakes That Small Businesses Make
10 Ideas to Help You Maintain a Consistent Blogging Schedule

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