Are you concerned that you’ve heard about content marketing too late in the day?
How can you be sure that your time or resources are well invested in content marketing?
In this article you’ll discover that content marketing is going nowhere and why starting to build your platform today is a good idea.
Where is Content Marketing Going?
It’s a question that you might have asked yourself, as a content creator, when you start to see some results. The strategy is good. Whatever your area of expertise or wherever your passion lies, you can create your own online resources (or encyclopedia). Of course, this will forever be work in progress! Your approach may be unique but a lot of your content will overlap with others.
Too Much Content Gives Google a Problem
As we sort through the world with a search engine, one thing that hasn’t changed too much is that we still tend not to view more than one or two pages of search results for a given search term. Regardless of how much content there is online, Google will still have to decide who is providing the best information and rank it accordingly. In the future your content will have to go a lot further than it does today to get seen. The difference today is that the library has barely started to fill up!
In a library, Not All Books or Authors are Equal
Let’s imagine people have just started writing books and that it’s the first day of building a traditional library. Certain people love the idea of writing a book or have something significant to say, and so they are the first to submit their books to the library. There are so many subjects in life and angles that the likelihood of repeat content will not happen for some time. When it does it is likely to be around the popular subjects first.
Every time a book is put into the library, it is wisdom that can be consumed. So, with each day that goes by after that new book is in the library, the chances increase that people will read that content and be influenced by it. Even if I wanted to write a book on the same subject I may have read the first book anyway, either to get ideas or to keep tabs on the competitor. Many other people who have no interest in writing books will have read it, too. So the authors of the first books gain in stature. It’s even possible that if I’d been keen to write the book but read the person who got there first that I might concede that I would be wasting my time writing it all over again.
A Crowded Niche Signifies Low Hanging Fruit
If you’re the first to a niche then that’s a very good thing. Who would start up a website on how to podcast? Of course you could do, but before you buy your domain and start creating content, go and take a look who’s doing it already. There are lots of voices in this niche.
Why is it popular? Because it’s a super niche! It applies to everyone who is serious about creating a significant online platform. Podcasting is one of the platforms you need to be on, so as people realise this – in their thousands and then millions – it will be a thriving training ground for many years to come. However, there will still be leaders.
There Are Big Benefits with Being First to a Niche
If we stick with podcasting, I could link you to one article that sums up enough to get you going. Thus my last sentence is actually reinforcing the structure (or at least according to how I see it). That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t enter the niche if I really want to and if I feel I’ve got something new to say. I could be an innovator.
What would happen if I started the website anyway? The first thing that would happen is I may not get to the top of the search rankings because the person or company that got there initially will have a headstart on me. Also if you’re writing the A-Z on a topic and someone’s already got there first, why would Google necessarily rank you above the market leader? The original information would have to be out of date. Technology is one arena that is constantly changing, but there are many principles in the world that haven’t changed for years.
Success Will Only Come with an Engaged Online Community
Success online requires trust first and then support. So if a person or company has helped you learn something, even if you think you’ve got everything for free, you’ll probably find you are loyal in some way. This means sharing their content to others who need the information you once didn’t know.
A Pyramid is Forming in Each Niche
There is no way that everyone can be as successful as everyone else. That is impossible. So what is going to happen when too many people enter a niche and the content overflows? Firstly it will become harder and harder to get your voice heard if you have nothing original. It’s the same as when a new shop opens up in a town. Let’s use a coffee shop for our example. To begin with it enjoys success because the time for coffee shops has arrived. They do so well that a competitor enters the market. Even if that doesn’t make much difference, by the time the town has 10 coffee shops something has to give. Normally there are certain factors which make you keep your nose ahead.
1. Service
2. Value
3. Being the established brand
4. Being part of a larger company
5. Innovation
6. Ethical choices
No doubt there are other factors, too. These same principles exist online. When too many people are in on the game it may not work as well and it will be much harder for the newcomers. Who would think of setting up a supermarket today? It may be a great money-making enterprise once established, but you would need huge resources to avoid being a victim to the existing supermarkets who just lower their prices until you’ve given up.
These online pyramids will never be rigid but key players will have many advantages over newcomers, so if they play their cards right they should always see a certain amount of success.
The Good News is that the Internet is Currently a Land of Opportunity
Content marketing is ideal for the niches where nobody has really scratched the surface. Or perhaps others have got there first but they don’t understand the importance of having a presence on all the most popular digital media of that age (which is at this time video, audio and the blog).
There must be millions of opportunities available, but if you are beginning your journey today, here are a few tips that will stand you in good stead.
– Niche down as much as you can. Setting up a website on food will get you nowhere, whereas being the go-to person for potatoes may mean you own this odd speciality for years to come!
– Keep the quality of the content as good as it can possibly be. There is a balance here, because you want progress over perfection, but quality will always stand out. Google is always striving for that perfect connection where you find the exact content you want (in the format you want) and immediately.
– Innovate in your niche. No matter how good your content is, it will probably be existing ideas that other people have written about. If you have innovated, then you will quickly escalate in importance. There will always be a place for new thought leaders.
– Make sure there is a person at the centre of everything rather than a business. Being a ‘Richard Branson from Virgin’ or a ‘Steve Jobs from Apple’ is going to be the future for successful businesses.
Content Marketing is Here to Stay
While we have to realise there will come a time when content marketing is no longer as effective as it is today, we must also balance that with the realisation that, in relative terms, this library has only just opened for business. The most successful people (and businesses) of the future will use both their own digital platforms and traditional media.
Is this how you view the future of content marketing? Or what do you think might happen as more people find their voices and claim niches?
