If you ask me, a singular social media trend for 2012, it would be "marketing campaigns will be heavily based on contents - many 'different' kinds of contents and content sharing applications". While, we saw content curation as the theme for the previous years, this year we will find businesses use various "social" applications (Spotify, Foodspotting, Instagram, Pinterest, Gamification) as the conduit to reach out to their audience. In this trend, content based marketing blurs the line between story and media, is sharable, and invokes "verbs" as reactions.
Content Marketing at its best - Barack Obama 2012 Presedential Campaign
Photo: Spotify
Barack Obama, who is often referred to as "the Internet President" has already embraced Google +, Instagram and Tumblr. According to the Obama 2012's official Campaign home page (incidently on Tumblr), the Obama campaign staff has released 2012 Campaign Playlist - on Spotify!
As you can see, each time a user listens to a song from this playlist (on Spotify), the user's network of friends (on Facebook) get notified (exlude the case of privacy settings). This is a brilliant example of reaching out to a larger audience, through a content which is not conventional and a media which is not your typical political campaigns media. This endorsement from the Obama Campaigns, makes my prediction more solid than ever.
Coca-Cola and Content 2020
The changing landscape of information sharing and consumption is making brands re-think (even overhaul) the media and content strategy. Coca-cola with their Content 2020 strategies has set a precedence for all brands to look at their staff, strategies, goals and tools in hand, before launching a campaign. This video is a must watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LerdMmWjU_E
Content Marketing on the rise [Infographic]
I leave you to ponder with the infographic below highlighting some interesting stats about the trends in content. What comes out strikingly is that 90% of B2B companies are engaged in content marketing.
Created by BlueGlass Interactive
While content marketing may not be a new concept or phenomenon, the tools and media that are being used are definitely evolving. Is your marketing department keeping pace with the changing landscape? If you have some stories to share, please let me know.
10 Feb 2012
