The year 2012 is going to be completely content driven.
And by completely, I mean, for the most part, completamente. And by content, I mean, anything that your brand is saying, producing, or depicting, that can, ultimately, be shared, heard, or liked. And by driven, I mean, the success factor (or X Factor, like the show – wait, what?).
Does your brand need Likes, followers, subscribers, views, engagement, awareness, and affinity? Of course it does, and there are a handful of ways to see those numbers increase – be it Facebook ads, Sponsored Tweets, or other paid means of activation – but there is one X Factor that is going to be catalyst of 2012.
Content.
Part of my job is to read every piece of material written on marketing, advertising, and social media, that I can get my hands on – you can’t miss a beat in this industry. So, per usual, I came across this fun read on 18 Insightful 2012 Marketing Predictions From the Experts via the good folks over at HubSpot, and consequently, there was a heavy focus on content across each expert prediction.
Mind you, I’m already a huge fan of content. And we all are. That’s why we watched two babies have a conversation 56,354,483 times, and certainly why this dog grabbed our attention 76,914,870 times.
But what about for a brand, as opposed to just viral-greatness?
Well, when I tapped into some of the insight from the HubSpot read, I was all-ears; I wanted everything that I had been thinking for the past year to be verified – consumers want to be entertained, they want empathy, and they want to share.
HubSpot kicked-it-off with one important open-ender: In 2012, companies will get found online by…
The takeaway? Content. In 2012, companies will get found online by the way in which they utilize content.
How will they need to utilize content? According to the experts, the answers are along the lines of the following:
Content will need to be compelling. Content will need to be produced in real-time, at the right time, with a sense of fluency across channels. And, content will need to be aimed at the right social influencers to further enhance its consumer reach.
My thoughts? Yes, yes, and yes.
That’s why I’m going to buy The Art of Flight on DVD, why I have a niche for anything about the man who walked around the world, and, undoubtedly, why I bought everyone in my family a pair of TOMS Shoes for Christmas.
In 2012, it’s all about content.
Whether it’s a matter of surrounding your brand with cats, calling on a comedic genius as a spokesperson, or defining a greater good with a cause-driven initiative, your brand will succeed in the content that it produces.
Good luck, and many the viral-views, Likes, and followers be with you.