ClickZ has released a new podcast series called the ClickZ Digital Marketing Podcast, featuring some of the experts who contributed to our Digital Trends 2016 report.
It features interviews with Tessa Wegert, Brian Clifton, Kelvin Newman and Parry Malm, looking at key trends for 2016.
Here we’ll be showcasing Tessa Wegert’s episode on content marketing.
Tessa is a business and tech reporter, former media strategist, and branded content developer. She contributes to such publications as Adweek, and The Content Strategist, and has worked with Audi, Audible and Shutterstock.
In Tessa’s podcast we hear about her background in content marketing, what she felt were the big trends of 2015 and which content marketing trends Tessa is really excited about in 2016 and why.
Branded magazines
Something that was brought to every marketer’s attention in 2015, but will expand to full potential this year are ‘brand magazines’ according to Tessa.
Major brands have begun to heavily invest in both digital and print magazines. AirBnB came out with Pineapple, Uber launched Momentum, Marriot’s Traveller magazine… All high quality, high calibre magazines.
“This is interesting to me as it ties into the storytelling trend, but also indicates that brands are recognising that consumers are still willing to look at longer form content.”
Something which happily goes against the wrongly held assumption that our attention spans are getting shorter. We’re just getting more picky, because there’s a lot more choice out there.
The key is making sure that your branded content is as genuinely useful as possible, and is delivered in an appropriate, timely manner.
Social ecommerce
Another trend that Tessa is very excited about is the ability to shop direct from social channels, with Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram all experimenting with ‘buy now’ functionality of some kind.
“Although very much at the experimental stage, brands are really keen to join the dots between their social efforts and sales.”
And what better way to truly measure the effectiveness of social on conversion then by cutting out the need for an ecommerce store all together and giving power directly to the consumer through whatever device and channel they want.
You can hear lots more tips and examples around these subjects in the full length podcast, available here: ClickZ Digital Marketing Podcast.
Related reading
How understanding psychology can help increase ecommerce sales
Human psychology can help create a better design and user experience, as it offers valuable insights about a brand’s target audience, its thinking and its criteria for purchasing decisions.
Study suggests that ‘peak content’ has been reached for brands
TrackMaven’s recent research into the state of content marketing for brands makes for some difficult reading if, like me, you’re planning a content strategy for 2016.
How to compete on the new Google SERP
One of the main questions on everyone’s mind about the new Google SERP is “how are these changes are going to affect paid and organic search?”
Blogging for SEO: five quick tips for beginners
Everyone loves free information. And free information reels in customers. That’s why blogging is one of the best ways to do content marketing.