Brafton highlights seven key insights from 2013 to fuel content marketing success for any brand.

Brafton remains at the forefront of the content marketing industry, and we’ve compiled seven insights from the first half of 2013 to fuel your brand’s success in the future. Through careful evaluation, Brafton believes these trends paint the perfect picture of what a solid content strategy should embody, and advises all marketing teams to consider how to execute their campaigns based on these data points.

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1. Links still matter as votes

Google launched Penguin 2.0 with new spam-fighting technology, and at SMX West Matt Cutts said, “links still have many, many good years ahead of them.”

2. Panda forgives, forgets (sort of)

Matt Cutts has suggested that Panda’s impact on websites on the cusp of search penalties could soften. The algorithm is stabilizing thanks to earlier refinements.  Remember to publish unique content, but don’t overthink your writing.

3. Social content distribution works

More than 50 percent of sales executives say social marketing contributes to their sales margins. Companies that don’t use social miss their quotas 15 percent more often than brands with active strategies.

4. Pretty content drives clicks

Cutts advises publishers to invest in site design and graphic content. Web users are 80 percent more willing to read content when it’s published alongside unique graphics. Download Brafton‘s webinar for more.

5. Content is cost effective

Gartner’s 2013 study shows that 41 percent of brands save money when they replace traditional marketing tactics with web alternatives like content creation.

6. Mobile search is the future

The MMA estimates that for every dollar spent on mobile marketing, brands generate $20 in return. Mobile search is a money maker, so content should consider local and on-the-go users.

7. Attribution makes sense

Brands attribute conversions to more than 12 different channels. Marketers are using more content types to push prospects through the sales funnel, and the right content metrics are key to understanding success.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.