It can be hard to sort out which marketing trends are fads, and which are the real deal. But that’s why we’re here.

Recent shifts in the marketplace are changing the way companies create, leverage and promote their content.

Let’s take a look at five content marketing trends for everybody from Fortune 500s to small businesses or start-ups.

Quality Control is Crucial.

Content was king, now quality is king.  Good writing and relevant posts are being rewarded.

Google now looks at how your audience engages with your content, and if they’re reading the whole thing or clicking deeper into your website, you’ll be rewarded. If they pogo stick unsatisfied to another website, you’ll get ignored. That means content can’t:

• Be littered with spelling and grammar errors
• Ask a question in the headline and not answer it immediately in the post
• Be an ad for your company, disguised as a blog

A recent survey of B2B marketers revealed that 85% of the businesses polled said their recent successes have been because of higher quality content.

Mobile Isn’t a Marketing Trend. It’s a Marketing Must-Have.

Mobile traffic now exceeds desktop traffic, and Google is taking a mobile first approach to ranking websites. And from a local SEO perspective, someone who searches for a business from a mobile device is likely to visit that business in the next 24 hours.

If your content isn’t mobile friendly, your customers will be more than happy to find something that is.

Facebook is Now Pay to Play.

The sad reality is no matter how good your headline is, or how breathtaking your image choice is, your content may not reach most of your followers on Facebook. Changes to how Newsfeeds display content means that businesses now have to pay to play, if they want to reach their own fans.  Boosting your posts isn’t expensive, but it’s now a prerequisite.

Video and Pictures are More Important Than Ever.

Snapchat and Instagram are massive and not going anywhere. Outside of your normal written content, you also need to find time and budget for these vehicles.

But take the time to craft a proper content strategy and don’t just take product shots and spam people’s newsfeeds with them.

Email and Marketing Automation Continue to Fly Under the Radar.

Email and marketing automation continues to be one of the most underrated and misused forms of content marketing, while most businesses have written it off as a dead medium, or just spammy.

That’s good news for people who are doing it correctly. Well-executed email campaigns can give you an ROI of $38 for every $1 spent!

How Do I Take Advantage of These Marketing Trends?

We are an online marketing agency, and we specialize in helping you boost and manage your online reputation. The online and offline worlds are no longer separate, and a positive online reputation is essential.

Do you know what your customers are seeing about you online?

Start with our free report and take control of your digital presence today.