{"id":5009,"date":"2019-07-26T13:40:44","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T17:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=5009"},"modified":"2021-04-21T10:10:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T14:10:48","slug":"6-content-marketing-channels-you-need-to-develop-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/6-content-marketing-channels-you-need-to-develop-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Content Marketing Channels You Need to Develop in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

The term \u201ccontent marketing\u201d might not conjure visions of a particularly innovative or exciting new industry, but hiding behind those bland words is a tectonic shift in how brands and businesses are reaching their audience. Simply put, content marketing refers to sharable online content\u2014videos, social media, e-books, or articles that often contain little or no mention of the brand behind them. Despite (or, perhaps, because of) the soft sell, content marketing has become incredibly effective at reaching audiences who are all-too-often inundated with traditional ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Content Marketing Institute<\/a>, it generates 3x more leads than old-school paid search advertising. And effective content marketers can help drive revenue that\u2019s 6x higher (10.2% v. 1.6%) than content marketers who don\u2019t follow best practices, according to Aberdeen<\/a>, an intent-based marketing company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As technological advances open up more channels through which to reach audiences, and consumers become more aware of what kind of content they like, it\u2019s important to make sure that you\u2019re up on the trends, experimenting on the right kinds of content, and checking the right metrics\u2014ones that actually impact your bottom line. Here\u2019s what matters now: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Authenticity and Transparency<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A\/B testing is out. \u201cAuthenticity\u201d and \u201ctransparency\u201d are in. Consumers of content are calling your bluff, and they want to see what you have to say for yourselves. This is all to say: the more \u201creal\u201d and \u201cspecific\u201d your content, the more people\u2014although, perhaps a smaller group of people\u2014will love your message. According to research from marketing content platform Stackla<\/a>, 86% of consumers reported that a brand\u2019s perceived authenticity drives their purchase decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As audiences wise up to brands hiring micro-influencers to peddle their wares, companies will need to genuinely engage with their audiences, through community channels such as Reddit, amplifying user-generated content on social media, and building relationships with their biggest fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boutique Brand Collaboration<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Co-branded partnerships are nothing new. Bonne Belle teamed up with Dr. Pepper to make a soda-flavored Lip Smackers way back in 1975. These days, co-marketing and co-branding ventures can reach new heights of ambition \u2014 sometimes literally: Take GoPro and Red Bull\u2019s partnership to capture footage of extreme sports<\/a>, or Sanrio, the official home of Hello Kitty and Friends, and Eva Air\u2019s collaborative jet planes<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But co-branding in no-longer the domain of international corporate giants — the sheer scale of these high-impact brand collaborations shouldn\u2019t scare you away from pursuing smaller, less expensive promotions. Everything from a pop-up shop in a local retailers space to branded gift guides can help expose your brand to new audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you partner with a brand, consider these factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n