Marketing

2017 content marketing goals: give people what they want

I recently led a Content Marketing Institute (CMI) discussion on where content marketing is headed in 2017, featuring a range of marketing leaders, including Margaret Magnarelli (Monster), Thao Le (Hyland’s), Amanda Todorovich (Cleveland Clinic) and Michael Weiss (Creative Circle), plus marketing writer Andrew Davis.

One of the first topics the group covered was what your content marketing goals should be. Start the video to watch some highlights from the discussion:

 

Awareness and engagement most popular goals 

The CMI report on 2017 B2C content marketing trends showed that brand awareness and engagement were the top two content marketing goals for the next year.

CMI B2C content marketing organizational goals

But many in the group questioned these answers and offered marketers three key pieces of advice.

1. Ask what engagement really means
Michael Weiss said he was tired of the word engagement and urged marketers to define what it really means in terms of the reaction you want from an audience.

Andrew Davis agreed and suggested that saying “awareness” and “engagement” is code for “I’m not really sure”. His advice: “If you want to raise awareness, buy ads.” For Andrew, content marketing is about increasing demand and inspiring people.

2. Know what your audience wants
Homeopathic medicine brand Hyland’s focused its attention on the popular racquet sport Pickleball. Thao Le’s team creates content that helps people improve their game – and if they happen to pick up muscle cramps while playing, Hyland’s has products that can help.

3. Be different
Amanda Todorovich advises brands not to join in with popular memes or social conversations unless you have something valuable to contribute. During the 2016 Olympics, many athletes showed the marks left by the Chinese medical practice of cupping, which caused the topic to trend. Her marketing team at Cleveland Clinic used its brand expertize to explain the science of cupping, adding more than just noise to the social chatter.

Recruitment service Monster has recently taken to video content and Margaret Magnarelli explains how fun videos like recipe-style instructions for creating a great resume are “really paying off”.

You’ll find more insights from the CMI 2017 B2C content marketing trends report here and watch the panel discuss producing quality content on a deadline.

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