Did you know that… 
Content marketing is poised to boom in 2014.
And companies need to be prepared for the biggest trends that are expected to take off in the coming year.
An increasing number of consumers are favoring customer-focused information that content marketing provides over more traditional marketing communications.
Blog posts, email newsletters, podcasts, webinars and social media posts are great ways to communicate with customers in an unobtrusive, friendly manner that provides information and can generate sales.
Focusing on providing great content is the best way to connect with these media-savvy consumers.
Here are some of the top trends coming up in 2014. Be sure to implement these into your content marketing campaign in order to ensure success in the year ahead and be on top of the curve.
Businesses Will be Able to Define Content Marketing
Even though about 60 percent of businesses already utilize content marketing to some degree, not as many would be able to define what it is exactly.
That is poised to change in 2014 as more companies embrace content marketing and align it with their business goals. It will gain importance as businesses become better able to clearly define content marketing and how it can be used to their advantage.
Once your company can clearly define content marketing, it becomes much easier to make it work for you.
Takeaway: Be sure you have a clear understanding of what content marketing is and how to make it work to your advantage.
Content Marketing Professionals Will Get Apt Titles and Recognition
Instead of assigning content marketing to the general marketing department, companies in the know will focus on hiring content managers and establishing entire departments dedicated to this type of marketing.
By making investments in content marketing staff, more companies will focus on the importance of having a professional and dedicated team in charge of these efforts.
It is rapidly becoming its own industry, and businesses would be smart to recognize that. Companies that don’t do this are likely to experience higher customer-acquisition costs, according to HubSpot’s 2013 State of Inbound Marketing report.
Takeaway: Build up staff dedicated to content marketing.
Automated Content Marketing Will Fail
Those companies that seek to save money and put forth less effort in generating effective content marketing are on track to fail.
That’s because low cost equals low quality, so businesses that try to cut corners will see their strategies backfire.
Consumers are wise and demand fresh, informative content, not something that has obviously been slapped together.
The whole point of content marketing is to provide personal and customer-focused information, something that tends to get lost in an automated system.
Takeaway: Invest in quality and original content, or risk alienating potential customers.
Location-Based Content Marketing Will Take Off
Your brick-and-mortar business can see a great return on investment through the use of smart technology to promote location-based deals. Although this is a current trend, it is on track to really take off next year.
Mobile device usage will help businesses connect with consumers in specific areas through location-based offers, sales and coupons.
For example, if you want to entice consumers to buy car covers, you can target your sale to nearby residents. Smart companies will capitalize on the mobile-device trend and work it into their content marketing strategies in order to connect with local consumers.
Takeaway: Invest in mobile-device technology and make it a key component of your content-marketing strategy.
Google+ and Slideshare Will Take Center Stage
Business-to-business marketers are increasingly turning to social media to promote their products and services, and this trend will continue in 2014.
Google+ and Slideshare are expected to see tremendous growth next year. and marketers would be smart to take full advantage of their content dissemination and social sharing capabilities. These devices enable users to effectively market their products and services to other businesses easily.
Takeaway: Strongly consider using Google+ and Slideshare as part of your content marketing plans.
Mobile Content-Marketing Strategies Gain in Importance
With more and more people owning smartphones and tablets, it only makes sense that tailoring your content marketing to these consumers on-the-go should be a top priority.
Things to consider here are mobile-friendly formatting; shorter posts for quicker reads and making sure you are embracing the technology your customers are using. After all, mobile is predicted to overtake desktop use within the next two years, so it’s best to be prepared for this inevitability.
Takeaway: Tailor your content marketing plan to take full advantage of the rising popularity of mobile devices.
Are you excited about 2014?
Yes. I. Am. Excited. To. Welcome. It.
These trends are on track to continue their growth pattern next year and clearly show the importance of content marketing to your business’s success.
As content marketing gains momentum, smart companies will embrace this media to the fullest in order to reap the rewards of a successful, up-to-the-minute campaign.
So far, what has content marketing done for your business and do you plan to continue using content to grow your business or take another route? Please leave your comment below. Merry Xmas in advance and see you ahead.
Photo Credit: Catherine
Michelle is a blogger and freelancer with a passion for social media and blogging. She loves how social media connects people across the globe, and appreciates that blogging gives her the opportunity to voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.