Every digital marketer knows that content is still king, especially with search engine algorithms continually shifting in favor of conversational search and relevant, informative results. But just as the digital landscape has evolved, becoming more crowded and complex than ever, the requirements for successful content marketing have expanded beyond blog posts and social media.
Today’s online audience expects more valuable content, and rewards brands that meet those expectations with their loyalty—and their sales dollars. Successful brands now function as multi-channel, multimedia publishers, providing endless streams of content in the forms best suited for their audience.
Beyond the blog post: The many faces of content marketing
The purchase path for today’s customer is no longer linear. With a multitude of devices, channels, and platforms, consumers are taking more tangled routes to purchases. They might interact with a brand on Facebook, read a blog post, check social reviews, watch a video, research prices, and download a tutorial or whitepaper before making a buying decision—all from a PC, tablet, smartphone, or in-store touch-point.
This evolving omni-channel system requires brands to expand their content marketing efforts, effectively becoming digital publishers. Just a few of the many format options for content creation include:
- Blog posts and articles
- Social media posts
- Images and video
- Infographics and charts
- Case studies and whitepapers
- Email newsletters, e-magazines and e-courses
- Ebooks (branded or informative)
Repurposing: A content marketer’s best friend
In order for a brand to act as a publisher, the volume of content must be increased without sacrificing quality. One of the most effective ways to increase your content volume is to repurpose existing content, creating multiple content formats from a single or several sources.
For example, updating and expanding older articles and blog posts can supply you with plenty of fresh content. You can also bundle several posts or articles into ebooks, or reverse the process and break ebooks down into articles, posts, or newsletters. Case studies can serve as a foundation for infographics, charts, and excerpts for short-form content. Related posts or longer content can be repurposed as e-courses or newsletter installments.
It’s crucial for content marketers today to meet the increasing demands of their target audience for informative, multi-format content that can be accessed from multiple touch points. Brands that position themselves as publishers will enjoy a competitive edge in the crowded digital market.