‍During the height of the digital transformation, bloggers and content marketers created a new industry: social media. These leaders used their expertise as marketing professionals to craft engaging and relevant content that resonated with its target audience. Today, we’re seeing an all-new landscape of digital marketers—and it’s not pretty. In this post, we list the top five reasons why bloggers and content marketers are facing a new challenge: 1) Content is no longer relevant; 2) Search engines are constantly changing; 3) Social media is still very much in its infancy; and finally, 4) Digital transformation has hit our industry at an all-new level. Here’s why you need to watch this space—and what you can do about it.

Digital Marketing is a New Game-Changer

In order to respond to the changing digital landscape, brands and marketers are embracing new ways to engage with their customers. For example, marketers are increasingly using digital channels to build brand awareness and increase customer loyalty. In addition, digital marketing has become more targeted, meaning more attention is given to the content and the messages that drive it. As digital marketers, we’re trying to survive through this new wave of competition. We want to be at the center of the action—and that means embracing different digital channels and using new digital marketing strategies. We believe that content marketing is the new traditional marketing approach, and we’re working to build a new strategy that rethinks the traditional methods that have served us well for years.

Content Marketing is Dead

From the marketing side, we’re seeing a lot of focus on creating brand-new content and finding new ways to license and promote our products. A big part of this transformation is the shift from a customer-first to a company-first marketing strategy. While many companies will focus on expanding their customer base and customer acquisition, others will push their company’s reach further by focusing on building brand equity and leading the public in new ways. Typically, the objective is to increase the value that your business provides by using digital media to build brand equity, which is then used as a competitive advantage. By “user-first,” we’re talking about personalizing content, adding flair, and making it more appealing to our audience—not the technology it relies on to function.

Content Marketing is Destroying Businesses

From a business standpoint, one of the most impactful results of the digital transformation will be the destruction of conventional business marketing methods. While the general consensus is that social media will be phased out over the next few years, the digital transformation also sees the abandonment of traditional printed materials and the collapse of newspapers. In the wake of social media’s demise, many companies are turning to digital channels to expand the reach and reachability of their brand-new marketing strategy. For example, retailers are turning to social media and other digital channels to incorporate their products into a customer’s daily reality. This can range from giving away free products to sending e-books to a customer’s friend.

Content Marketing has Brooks and pullscartneys

From a business standpoint, content marketing is also seeing the return of one of its most recognizable partners— displacing printed materials such as books, periodicals, and other printed guides. For example, if you’re a publisher, you’re turning to GoogleBooks or other digital channels to create digital products with Your Book, Your Business, and Your Community. We believe that the future of content is in the ways that we engage with brands and their products. We’re exploring new ways to create content, from creating user-centered experiences to creating content that is collaborative, interactable, and involving.

The Future of Video (and Other) Ads

In the wake of social media’s demise, many companies are turning to new forms of digital marketing. In this instance, marketers are targeting the digital video market, which includes social video, video on demand, and video on demand with no digital connection. As the digital video market develops, we’re seeing more nuances that distinguish it from traditional forms of advertising. For example, traditional ads often feature a specific product or brand name in the lead-up to the ad break. In contrast, digital ads are more agnostic, offering users a range of options in the ad break to allow for contextualization.

What to Watch for in the Social Media World

When it comes to the future of social media, there is still lots to be predicted. But these five trends will give us a good start.

Bottom Line

Digital transformation is nothing if not a journey, and it’s not going to be an easy one. It’s likely that the digital marketing landscape will remain incredibly challenging for the next decade or more. By following these five points, you can prepare for the challenge. Ready to take your digital marketing to the next level? Start by understanding the challenges that digital marketers face and how you can take your digital marketing to the next level.