Content marketing has proven itself to be anything but a fad. In 2014 we saw more and more brands place emphasis on developing content marketing strategies, and more and more dollars being put towards content marketing. Like undercuts and deep V-neck tees , these trends are not going away any time soon!
In this post we're going to dive into 4 articles that do their best Nostradamus impressions, as they predict the top content marketing trends in 2015. These predictions aren't just pulled out of thin air, they are the result of watching the content marketing game grow and mature over the past year. So get out your notebook!
1. Mashable predicts this will be the year of "understanding" 
"2015 is poised to be the year that brands actually understand their audiences, and finally prove return on investment."
This article from Mashable gives 10 predictions that all have to do with content marketing ROI. The first prediction "Marketing will become more people-focused" is key to grasp, because it's through understanding (demonstrated in buyer personas) that truly helpful and relevant content is created.
2. Business 2 Community predicts content marketing will be taken more seriously by all
"content marketing is not just some fad that you should do – because everyone else is doing it – but rather a very important strategic asset that will boost profitable results across all digital marketing channels."
Citing research from Smart Insights that revealed "content marketing" to be the "most important marketing channel" in a poll, this article has the data to back up its claims. The trends point towards targeting and personalization as being major points of interest this year, along with ads and distribution plans to ensure your message is seen. Overall, it's worth checking your current content marketing strategy against these trends to see what you may be overlooking.
3. Forbes places its money on content marketing distribution and sophistication
"2015 will be the year when content distribution moves to the forefront, while SEO becomes more about working behind the scenes to ensure technical compliance. Social media and email marketing will need to become more sophisticated to reach an increasingly wary audience, and will come to be seen as amplifiers of distribution for content strategies."
Content marketing started to hit its stride in 2014, and Forbes predicts that this year we'll see businesses take it up a notch. Marketers will start putting more energy into actually marketing their marketing; we'll see a closer union of content marketing and social media marketing; and we'll revisit previously used tactis like email marketing and guest blogging. All of this will lead to improvements in search engine rankins, as the symphony of digital marketing tactics come together to spell success for businesses who are all-in to this "content marketing thing".
4. Content Marketing Institute drop 60 predictions in their annual "eBook of content marketing predictions"
"Rather than trying to publish as much content as possible, we'll move towards content marketing that's both sustainable and reliable."
Content Marketing Institute really went in on this post, and complied 60 content marketing predictions from content marketing experts all around the globe. Pretty much every possibility is touched upon, with my favorite being, "Google will acquire Twitter, and Salesforce.com will acquire a content management company. —Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Officer, Content Marketing Institute".
This year will certainly be an exciting one in the world of content marketing businesses of all shapes and sizes mature their content marketing strategies. I personally predict that we're going to see some kickass examples of excellent and inspiring content marketing in 2015. Will they come from you?!
How are you improving your content in 2015?
This is the year to mature your content marketing strategy and start experiencing some real results. Grab our free guide and we'll help ensure you're putting out the most KILLER content around!
And finally, here's a grea infographic from Alex Barca at Curata, which gives the content marketing predictions from over a dozen industry experts.
Are you convinced yet that Content Marketing is worth paying attention to in 2015?!
Our free guide to creating KILLER content will help ensure that the contnet you publish this year is top notch. Click this link here or the buton below to grab your copy.
