Words Over Ideas? The Future of Content

There was a time not too long ago, when all you needed to do to get noticed as far as search engine rankings were concerned, was to create a lot of content. The more blogs or articles you had, the better it was. Those days are pretty much over. The reason is that search engine algorithms have become much more clever. But there is also another change happening and that has to do with words over ideas. Silicon Valley now has a lot of power when deciding what words can and cannot be used. The social media giants are busy blacklisting words which they deem offensive. For you the content creator, this is very important to keep in mind. However, it is more complicated than that. The future of content is also being changed by other factors. The following are some of the more notable ones.

The World of Fake News

Two words that keep popping up these days a lot is “fake news”. There may be debates regarding who is responsible for this but one thing for sure is that it has made consumers and the general public wearier about what they read. Fake news may have been around since the cavemen days, but it was only in the last couple of years that it became mainstream. What does this mean for you the content creator? It means making sure you have your facts correct. A more cautious public means more people doing fact-checking before they will believe anything.

Attention Spans

With the amount of information out there, people’s attention spans are decreasing. The idea is to give as much information in the shortest amount of time. One of the best ways to do this is by creating what is known as “interactive content”. This may include providing videos, surveys, quizzes, polls and even calculators for the public to take part in. This is not to say that blogging or ebooks are not important. It's just that interactive content has become one of the main tools in marketer’s toolbox.

The All or Nothing Approach

Content has to do with proper planning and strategy. It cannot be done in a half-hearted manner. You have to go all the way with it. According to Joe Pulizzi, the chief content officer of Content Marketing Institute, “with content marketing, it is all or nothing”. There is no point in just dabbling in it, he adds. For you, this means putting in place full-fledged editorial calendar and making sure there is a good content strategy tied in with the company’s objectives.

Let WSI Help You with the Correct Words

If navigating the world of correct word usage sounds confusing to you, then you do have the choice of using professionals to make it through the minefield known as word usage. We have been in the digital marketing world long enough to know what needs to be done. Contact us today to get started!

Lynne Motkoski, Digital Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Digital Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.