Within Toronto’s startup community, Uberflip has established itself as one of the leading content marketing players.
Randy Frisch, Uberflip’s chief operating officer, will bring his insight to meshmarketing as a panelist on the digital tools panel with David Singh and Karen Schulman Dupuis. (Note: Pre-registration tickets are $199 until Oct. 30).
We did a mini-Q&A with Randy to get his thoughts on where content marketing is going and how brands can effectively leverage content.
What do you see as some of the more interesting trends within content marketing? What should brands be focused on?
Video and image-based content is definitely one of the biggest trends in content marketing right now. Audiences find these content formats extremely engaging and it’s easier to digest visual content quickly. For visual content to be most effective, it should also be mobile friendly. This leads to another trend in content marketing right now, which is making content mobile-friendly and responsive.
Brands should focus on understanding which social channels their audience spends time on and deliver visual content across these social channels. Marketers should also ensure they have a mobile strategy in place to capitalize on the massive trend toward mobile content consumption.
What the keys to success when it comes to doing content marketing well?
One of the most important components of a successful content marketing strategy is to know your audience – who are they, what do they like/dislike, which social channels do they spend their time on…once content marketers understand exactly who they’re speaking to, they can create targeted and effective content that resonates with these people.
Savvy content marketers are also constantly measuring the effectiveness of their content strategy. They’re aware of key content marketing metrics and are optimizing their content based on how it’s performing against their pre-defined goals.
Successful content marketers are also good at creating effective long-term strategies – they plan ahead and have a roadmap for their content creation, but they’re also flexible in reacting to industry news and trends.
Any tips on how brands can sustain their content marketing activity, and how they can drive distribution?
We’re seeing a massive rise in content clutter these days and marketers need to find ways to break through the noise and capture their audience’s attention. Savvy content marketers find ways to make all their content discoverable without creating extra work for themselves by going through the IT department – and to be frank, this is exactly the problem that Uberflip’s latest product, Hubs, solves.
Brands can also sustain their content marketing activity by monitoring what their audience is interested in. They’re talking to customers and getting their feedback; they’re monitoring social media networks and listening to the pain points and conversations being expressed online. They’re then always refining their content marketing such that it caters to their audience’s wants and desires.
Any new or favourite digital tools these days?
Canva is a new tool that’s definitely on my radar. It’s basically an online software that allows non-designers to create and collaborate on design. Especially with content marketing trending towards visual content, the ability to create great design is an important asset to have. I’ll be sure to check out Canva when it comes out of beta.
