As content marketers, we all know how important it is to stay on top of industry news, headlines and trends. We’re at the front line and it’s imperative that we remain current, but it’s not always possible to find time in our busy schedules. Therefore, here’s the Cliff’s Notes on some of the more interesting news in content marketing over the past few months.

  • The Superbowl Marketing Hangover: It’s one of the biggest marketing opportunities of the year for TV during the game, but Twitter proved itself as a huge contender as well. Adweek’s Chris Heine reviewed the best brands drawing a significant amount of interaction with followers as the New England Patriots took on the Seattle Seahawks. Cheerios took advantage of perfect timing, while Skittles gave a nod to one of its most famous fans: Marshawn Lynch. Meanwhile, Doritos appealed to our sensitive side with adorable puppy tweets.
  • A New Player in Content Marketing: Big Picture Entertainment has always been a heavy hitter in media and publishing, but the company has just launched a new division that will focus on content: Rec Room. The spinoff will help its clients reach out to prospects via storytelling content that’s compelling and engaging, using content marketing software to better target their intended audience. Clients of the new company include Papa John’s, LinkedIn, Coors and sports media outlets.
  • Time Inc., U.K. Taking a Different Marketing Approach: Realizing that their ad team needs to be more customer-centric and offer more powerful marketing solutions, Time Inc., U.K. announced an overhaul of their ad division. They created new categories within the team, each of which will concentrate on retail, health and beauty, technology and lifestyle topics. Every department will be headed up by its own director, who will oversee managers specifically dedicated to that branch. Team members will be working with such brands as Marie Claire, Look and InStyle magazines, while new personnel will be reaching out to the agency hubs.
  • Women in the Driver’s Seat at Facebook: Fortune Magazine ran a piece that measures Facebook’s ad prices worldwide and compares them to their target audience. The study discovered that U.S. women are the most valuable Facebook users for more marketers, giving agencies a hint as to where they can make a bigger impact. The article also included a point that we’re all aware of about one particular type of content; videos were huge in 2014, even more so than photos on this social media platform.
  • Reason Behind the Buzzfeed – Snapchat Breakup: When Snapchat revealed the release of a new channel for users to explore content, Discover, quite a few companies perked up their ears. Buzzfeed was among those who wanted to get involved as a publisher and was all-in for the launch until the 11th hour when the deal broke apart over creative differences. A spokesperson for Buzzfeed expressed the company’s disappointment about the fall-out, as executives realized the potential that Discover could hold.
  • Documentation’s Role in Content Marketing: You’re probably already in the know about the advantages of a documented approach to content marketing, and a study conducted by Content Marketing Institute confirms this. The company analyzed B2B marketers who currently use content as part of their overall strategy, in an attempt to identify the connection between those that were effective and those that weren’t. The findings suggest that documentation is one major secret to success, as 60% of participants with a documented marketing strategy reported positive results; 32% who used a verbal-only strategy reported that their strategy worked. Documentation is clearly a winning tool, alongside a content marketing platform for some of the more basic functions.

Is there anything we’ve missed here? What’s the latest scoop you’re hearing out there in the content marketing industry? Fill us in.

 

You must be logged in to post a comment.
Menu