The Future of Content Marketing in the Age of Information Overload

by    |   10th Dec 10 1:12 pm   |   7
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Google Searches e1292011591748 The Future of Content Marketing in the Age of Information OverloadIt’s fair to say that the internet has completely transformed our lives and the “age of information overload” has finally dawned upon us. Radio took 38 years to reach the landmark figure of 50 million users. The idiot box came along and managed to do the same within 13 years. The World Wide Web took 4 years to do so. And Facebook did it in less than 5 months after it left its college fraternity. And it’s not social media alone which has benefited from the content revolution. A staggering one billion iPhone apps were downloaded in less than 9 months. It’s all about the content!

Though we stay in the age of information overload, people are hungrier than ever for quality content. Therefore, I strongly believe that content marketing offers a tremendous opportunity for businesses of all kinds and sizes. Though it offers various flavors such as social media, app stores and World Wide Web, the internet is by far the biggest source of content in today’s modern age.

Relevance

Information overload comes at a cost. While it widens the overall knowledge base, it also makes it difficult to find relevant information amidst a vast pool of all sorts of content. From a business perspective, it’s very important to focus on the “relevance” aspect in its marketing efforts to connect with your customers.

It’s all about creating informational & compelling content and then distributing it through innovative means. As a business, you must strive on providing relevant content which helps your customers either by solving their problems, assisting them with additional information or even bringing a smile on their faces. If the information isn’t relevant and usable, your content marketing campaign seriously needs to be re-assessed.

New Media

The growing popularity of Facebook and Twitter has meant that businesses are open to embracing “New Media” as alternative avenues for advertising, marketing and customer service. New media offers two primary advantages – speed and reach. New-age digital media methods are lightning fast and instantaneous. They provide an unparallel reach and have transformed the world into one global family.

Print Media

It’s easy to get obsessed with new media and ignore print media altogether. Unfortunate as it is, a number of businesses make this fatal mistake and end up with dire consequences. Conventional media techniques have stood the test of time and will continue to co-exist with new media. The digital explosion has meant that people are now forced to pick and read rather than go all out an exhaustive reading spree. If content is the king, print media has played the role of the king maker. Though digital press releases have gained traction, they can’t replace conventional press releases.

Value

I strongly believe that a marketing campaign can be successful only if offers value to the customers. And content marketing is no exception to that rule. Businesses need to ensure that their sites offer valuable knowledge to users. People don’t just need any content, they need quality content.

What’s your take on the future of content marketing in today’s age of information overload? Do you believe that content is still the king in the world of social media? Please share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post

Douglas Idugboe, Digital and New Media Marketing Strategist. Founder and Chief Editor of Smedio! A Canadian Bestselling Author, Marketing Strategist, Speaker and Trainer, Who Loves Technology
  • http://blog.wslash.net Jack

    Remarkable, relevant content is key. So knowing what your audience is interested is also key. Communicating from a unique perspective can help set you apart.

    • http://smedio.com Douglas Idugboe

      Great points Jack. Thanks for the contribution… and welcome to the Smedio community.

  • Anonymous

    Content is still king, that is what people are searching for; today every business owner is also a publisher. The red tape has been cut through new media allowing all a channel to get their message out. What you broadcast dictates if people will listen.
    Great post!

  • http://www.postlinearity.com gregorylent

    “content” has a cost to the consumer. all these websites trying to monetize it, suck my time and energy. sites that load with video ads already playing, endless requirements to register in order to comment or participate, popovers, popunders .. i don’t own a tv because of ads … can see the same for much of the internet, avoid avoid avoid.

  • Pingback: The 7 Rules of Content Marketing | Smedio | The New Media and Social Web Guide for Business and Marketers

  • http://blog.marcbinkley.ca Marc Binkley

    Hey Douglas,  

    I’ve followed you for a while on Twitter, but I don’t think I’ve ever read your blog.  Congratulations, its a great layout and simple to navigate.   

    I was just using the time to 50 million user stat for another project that I’m working on.  Its fascinating how quickly we are migrating to these platforms.  I heard that Google+ gained 25 million users in it’s first month.   I think a big part of the speedy adoption is the connectivity that exists between all of us.  

    Each of us are mobile publishers of content.  We don’t need much more than a smartphone and a cellular connection to share our thoughts and ideas as they come to us.   One of the downfalls of speedy publishing is crappy content.   We may accidentally stumble on a sneezing panda or a charlie bit my finger goldmine, but for the most part I think quality content will earn the crown.

    I believe you’re right, traditional media has carved out a niche for itself and will learn to adapt to the changing consumer behaviours.  When it comes to marketing, traditional platforms will maintain a role in helping create brand awareness.

    Despite the changes,  I’m not sure that Information Overload is the correct term for the stage that we are in.  I think that convergence may be a more appropriate phrase.   It’s true that there is more people producing more content than ever, but it’s also true that it’s easier than ever to focus our attention only on the things that interest us.     

    Historically, there were dozens of broadcasters supplying supplying the content they THOUGHT, I wanted.    We used to have to seek out, plan for and wait for the content that we wanted.  Now, I can have as much of the exact content I want sent right to my phone when I need it.  

  • Caryn

    The new media sometimes make it more difficult to create juicy content – people want it short and fast since it seems the population now has the attention span of a gnat. From a copywriter’s point of view it’s unfortunate and makes it a challenge, no question. Thanks for the great post!