Content marketing is poised to be a top priority among internet marketers this year, with 87 percent of CMOs saying that custom content has proven valuable to their brands.
AOL seems to be among the companies placing its stock in content this year, with the once-popular search company shifting to an SEO-driven content strategy dubbed the AOL Way (which Brafton discussed at length in a blog post earlier this year). A new move from AOL that places emphasis on quality content might inspire marketers planning their own campaigns.
Business Insider reports that AOL will be using full-time writers to produce content for many of its sites. While this may result in some disgruntled freelancers who were formerly associated with the company, AOL (and Business Insider) view this as a positive transition to ensuring these sites offer valuable, high-quality content on the web.
AOL's business and finance editor, Peter Goodman, told the source the company is relying on “deeply experienced writers and editors to staff our sections.” Goodman points out that this move will help foster collaboration and quality writing affiliated with traditional newsrooms. He hopes this will benefit his company as well as site visitors, and Business Insider – once skeptical of the AOL Way – condones the move to a full-time newsroom.
In light of recent algorithmic updates from Google that reward high-quality content, turning to SEO-savvy, full-time writers may be a good way to ensure that content marketing efforts make the cut for search engines (and online audiences). In fact, in the B2B realm (where some sectors already boast up to 94 percent content marketing adoption rates), brands are already turning to full-time journalists to produce well-written, social-friendly articles.
