How would you start marketing in 2016? (3)

Content Marketing

In 2016 content marketing is still protagonist in the media field. We should not only focus on content centric and on the opening up of the whole industry chain, but also carefully select the type and channels of content. Meanwhile, in order to make sure the effectively of content marketing on the brand, the sales strategy should be separated, so that content marketing could focus exclusively on building the brand’s image.

1. Content Centric and Opening up the Industry

Content can be the end of the marketing strategy, but it can also be the starting point. Good content is no longer limited to reach the audience or not, but also to pursuit multiple propagations, such as stones falling into the lake and through the layers of waves continue to strengthen until they return to the shore stronger. This kind of return force happen with content marketing too: you can get a greater influence from every diffusion.

TIPS: Initiating topics of discussion among the community, based on Content

To realize a successful marketing, you should first create a buzz in the community. For example, the popular TV series "Hua Qian Gu" increased related community message volume increased by 711% in two months, through discussions within the community, can initiate a topic within a period of time.

2. What is the most efficient content?

The saying "A picture is worth a thousand words," may not be suitable for content marketing, as text-intensive articles and case studies are the most effective type of content. Using videos and infographics is also a very effective way when talking about content marketing strategies.

3. Content Channels: Everything Could Be Media, Interaction of Cross-Screen

Everything could be media. The connection between customers and brands is increasingly deepening. Different platforms and different screens, they are all involved in customer's digital experience.

On Valentine's Day, Durex launched its first dual-screen interactive H5 game: When the girl is involved in a diving accident, the boy goes to save her.

Near Valentine’s day, this campaign has created the phenomenon that more and more young people become "Phubber". Young people could interact with each other simply using their phones, which helped them to potentially find true love and enhance the consumer’s favorability of the brand.

4. Brand And Sales Shall Be Separated

A good brand is not only for gaining benefits and interests, but also for building a sound image of that company.

Content marketing is now just like some other products, which have so many functions and neglect the real demands of customers. Therefore, to pursue a pure goal, brand and sales shall be separated.

Brand department's responsibilities are to build the brand and loyal fans, to maintain social platforms and a loyal community and be responsible for creative marketing. While the sales department should be concerned to manage the pressure of sales.

Create real brand fan groups. KPI is not sales, The goal of brand marketing is to let everyone know the brand and make people talk about that brand. In establishing the love of a brand, they couldn't only focus on KPI, but find their own core users, loyal fans. Interact with them through quality content, letting them get spiritual satisfaction of the brand. Once you have a sales load, people in brand marketing will lie on short-term goal and push harder, which might make them forget about the long-term brand strategy. That would have an overall bad influence on the marketing approach.