Let’s face it. Addressing today’s transformation from traditional to digital is daunting from a marketing perspective. These days, standing out and engaging with prospective customers amidst content and information overload is not an easy task.
By not only recognizing, but seizing the opportunities that lie in this technology and digital-driven age, companies can adapt to and leverage industry changes–as long as they take the right approach. With the use of successful inbound marketing tactics, customers will be the ones seeking you out for your products or services. Because business as usual isn’t. This is one of the mottos by which Digital Clarity Group (DCG) works and operates. DCG helps leaders navigate today’s digital transformation by offering solutions across consumer engagement, the social enterprise, innovative change and adaptive technology.
Robert Rose, Senior Contributing Analyst at DCG speaks to the importance of–as well as common challenges with–developing thoughtful content marketing strategies, plus gives us a sneak peek at what he’ll be covering at this year’s Inbound Marketing Summit (IMS) in July.
Tell us a little bit about your role at Digital Clarity Group:
I am the Senior Contributing Analyst–and my role is to help cover the customer experience, content management and of course, content marketing space. Most of my work with DCG centers around working with clients to help them understand how content marketing is re-shaping the marketing landscape – in terms of strategy, process and of course technology.
What are a few points of advice for a successful content marketing strategy? What are the biggest challenges that are posed when it comes to content marketing?
The biggest mistake is looking at it like it competes with other sales and marketing strategies. Content marketing is an approach and a process that gets infused into the existing marketing and customer engagement strategy. It makes everything you’re already doing more effective – and can, in the right circumstances, live on its own. The other key is understanding measurement. Successful content marketing is approached holistically and not in silos. Individual departments (Social, Web, Ecommerce etc.) may produce pockets of great content, but it’s only when it’s brought together and treated as a more holistic approach – and measured as such – that you will find the true ROI.
How important is it for companies to be able to adapt to new technologies, new ideas and strategies, and everything else that is consistently changing in today’s marketing industry?
It’s critical. Today the savvy marketing department is built to adapt, rather than scale. The ability to change quickly is the new differentiator for marketing groups. It doesn’t matter if you’re a global Fortune 500 company or a small start up; success is now built on the ability to pivot and engage customers wherever they may be. They expect it.
Can you give us a little sneak peak into your presentation at IMS San Francisco?
The title of my talk is “Chaos, Context and Content”—and really speaks to all that we’ve discussed above. A recent study shows that 50% of all marketers feel unprepared to handle new trends in digital experience technology. That same study also found that half of the respondents felt like they don’t have the right people on board.
I find it interesting that this same survey found that 70% of these marketers felt like these technological changes would “positively impact the organization”. As marketers, we’re all sure creating customer-centric digital experiences is a good idea; we just have NO idea how we’re going to do it.
My talk explores these issues and offers a model (or at least the start of one) that begins to show an approach for how to do this. I’ll discuss how we can use the ideas behind content, the utility of that content in context, and the creative power of chaotic change to create a new model for marketing.
