December 17, 2013

Joe Pulizzi On Content Marketing in 2014: 'My Predictions Are On the Money'

Self-described as “the longest running content marketing predictions source on the planet” the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) newly revealed its 2014 Content Marketing Predictions eBook, which comes chock-full of vital information from internationally renowned experts in the space. Yesterday, CMI Founder Joe Pullizi explained in a post on the site, “I really feel my content marketing predictions are on the money this time around.”

You be the judge. Below are a few of the top 2014 content marketing predictions from CMI’s annual eBook, which was officially released November 16.

From Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute:

  • Microsoft will buy one, maybe two, media companies in certain industries. The outcome will pave the way for further media purchases throughout the year by non-media companies.
  • Red Bull will announce a series of daredevil movies to be produced by Amazon.com.
  • At least three Fortune 500 brands will hire a Chief Content Officer.

Julie Fleischer, Director Media & Consumer Engagement, Kraft Foods:

  • 2014 will be the year of short form sound, sight and motion: “Vine and Instagram videos will deliver greater viewership and higher engagement than long-form,” Fleischer says. “Agencies will compete over who can tell the shortest stories with the biggest impact.”

Andrew Davis, Author of Brandscaping:

  • Content created to build subscription-based relationships: “With more and more organizations taking a more strategic approach to driving sales and higher-quality leads, we’ll see…subscriptions that demand higher-quality content, delivered consistently and shared wisely.”

Jill Rowley, Social Selling & Social Business Evangelism, Oracle:

  • Content will be the sales team’s biggest tool: “Content will become the currency of the modern sales professional,” Rowley explains.

Craig Hodges, CEO, King Content:

  • The increasing role of technology: “As the market continues to mature the role of technology will play increasingly critical role,” he says, adding that content strategies will include technological recommendations to ensure measurable outcomes.

There is so much valuable insight provided above, and these are only five of the 50 predictions offered in the resource. Perhaps the most interesting prediction is that of Jill Rowley, who explains the impact that content will have for sales purposes. In her prediction, she also adds that 57 percent of the buying process is done prior to engaging sales. This certainly seems in line with other recent research this year. For instance, Google recently reported that the average person digests at least 10 pieces of online information before making a purchasing decision.

Rowley continues by saying that salespeople will use content to be part of the buyer’s learning party, eventually transforming the modern sales professional into a content connoisseur and an information concierge with a strong personal brand.

Other experts who shared a similar prediction include Cliff Pollan, CEO of Postwire, who said that “content marketers will embrace their sales teams having them personally use content to help develop and close opportunities.” Davis – mentioned above – also touches on this when explaining the role of custom content in driving sales.

It only makes sense that sales teams will begin leveraging the custom copy that their content marketing teams create to close more deals, especially seeing how 78 percent of customers believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them, according to TMG Custom Media. As 2014 unfolds, perhaps we’ll see content marketing becoming the salesperson’s strongest tool.




Edited by Ryan Sartor



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