Future of Content

June 6, 2012

Andraz Toriandraz@zemanta.com

@andraz

Engaging content?

• Delivers value• Attracts attention and keeps it• Connects and builds relationships

Multiple kinds of “content”

• Social media channels• To generate interest, attention, activity

• Real life content• To support your onl ine efforts, and vice versa

• Core destination that you own• That continuously delivers value• Where you can fully control the experience

Social media

• Social media is f ickle• People follow, like, retweet you, pin you

• And then they forget you• Or the landlord starts changing the rules

• You need to keep building your own destination• Focal point for your audiences• Place for community

Real life content

Destination that you own

• You need to publish fresh content regular ly• It needs to cater to your target audience• It should not be an island

But how?

Robots are coming?

Exoskeletons

Or like this

Cycle of content

• Idea / Inspiration• Writing or obtaining content• Optimize, enhance• Connect• Distribution

Getting over the writer's block

• Creating your own, unique writing identity• High expectations lead to creative blocks• Your content is not perfect expression of yourself or your brand

• Never be afraid to simply join the conversation• Research, get inspired, curate in a smart way:

Content “on demand”?

• Works if you know what you are doing• Help others and others will help you

• Engaging guest bloggers

• Procuring the content you need for your site

Optimize, enhance

• Search Engine Optimization

• Professional copy editing

Or basic spell & grammar checker

Connect and relate

• Don't be selfish• Don't be an island• Connect, link out to:

• your sources• other people and brands that inspire you• simply good content for your readers

Case study

• Used Zemanta WordPress Plugin for image recommendations and connecting to other blogs in their niche.

• Would periodical ly l ink to LifeHacker articles.

http://bloggingyourpassion.com/how-using-the-zemanta-wordpress-plugin-can-increase-your-blog-traffic/

• Strategy paid off as one of the Lifehacker bloggers took notice and l inked back to one of Blogging Your Passion posts

• This resulted in nearly 5,000 visits.

• 6 other bloggers wrote about the same topic and l inked back to the original post.

Connecting efficiently?

Zemanta

• Personal writ ing assistant• By now computers can be smart

• Helps with recommendations whi le writ ing:• Images• In-text links (Wikipedia, authoritative sites)• Related articles (Blogs, big & small media)• Tags (so people can find your content)

Use images

Skyword study found an average increase of 94% for articles that included an image or infographic .

http://skyword.com/blog/96-skyword-study-add-images-to-improve-content-performance.html

Takeaways

Use a force multiplier

Age of smart

Don't be an island

• Don't be a

content island!• It's lonely• No space to grow

Build bridges

Thank you!

Andraz Toriandraz@zemanta.com

@andraz

Photo credits

• http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/B2B_Trends_2010.pdf

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/aye_shamus/2929888687/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/stylianosm/3989939286/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/betta_design/2200198472/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferranp/317125624/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanaka/5949395563/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeaks2569/3700355684/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trj/1032572214/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cazatoma/6086507585/

• Raytheon Sarcos

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