It can’t be as simple as just sending something and calling it a day. «Content is King» sounds good in principle. «However, this somewhat outdated cliché is often thrown around without really helping most marketers,» says Marco Schlauri of the Zurich-based B2B content marketing agency Digital Leverage. Often, he notes, there’s a lack of understanding of target audiences, channels, and formats. «Many key players in the industry also don’t know how to tie these three elements together with a common thread to create clear positioning and added value for both the reader and their own company.»

For Schlauri, it’s crystal clear that creating compelling content is anything but easy. Especially since the competition is fierce. «There’s more content today than ever before, so expectations have risen among both creators and consumers.» To compete at the top, simply posting content haphazardly is no longer enough. «That’s exactly why we help our clients develop a clear strategy that sets them apart from the competition.»

For Martin Kost, owner and co-managing director of the Lucerne-based online marketing agency Standout, content marketing isn’t simply a surefire success either. «For many users, the disappointments are just as great as the hopes,» he knows from experience. Often, for example, people don’t realize that content marketing is anything but free. «Producing good content is very time-consuming and demanding. It’s also not uncommon for the reach achieved to be less than hoped for.» One reason for this is that online platforms are increasingly prioritizing paid content. For example, today’s first page of Google search results features up to four paid ads before the first organic result. And Facebook, too, has significantly reduced the reach of company posts in favor of paid posts.

Long-Form Content, Live Video Formats

Despite all reservations, there is a consensus in the industry that well-designed content marketing is a powerful tool for reaching potential customers. New trends continue to emerge in this area. For Andrea Iltgen, Managing Partner at Xeit, so-called «long-form content» is currently very popular. “Even though Gen Z isn’t as keen on reading anymore, long-form content—which allows for an in-depth exploration of a topic—is becoming increasingly popular.” This can take the form of text alone, but increasingly also a combination of images, video, and text.

Iltgen cites the increasing structuring of data as another trend in content marketing. When data is available in a structured format, Google can directly filter out and display content-based «snippets»—whether in the form of a definition, a recipe, or an event. “Video has also been on the fast track as a content format for years,” says Iltgen. And she expects this trend to continue and become even more pronounced. Furthermore, the specialist notes that machine-generated text—that is, text created by artificial intelligence or algorithms—is now widespread in e-commerce. And it’s safe to assume that it will soon find its way into content marketing on a broader scale as well.

Content is also increasingly being delivered automatically via email campaigns, says Andrea Iltgen. This makes it even more important as a push tool. «A major driver behind this is the cookie policy of the major advertising platforms, which takes effect this year and makes it difficult—if not impossible—to personalize ads using cookies.» Consequently, marketers are looking for alternatives to deliver relevant content to their target audiences.

Martin Kost also expects a clear increase in the importance of video formats. «A trend toward live video is emerging for 2021. This could also be related to the pandemic, since live events aren’t possible. However, we expect live video to remain important even after the pandemic.» According to Kost, the customization and personalization of content are also likely to continue gaining importance. He mentions, for example, the new «Director Mix» feature for video ads launched by YouTube. This feature allows video segments to be individually assembled based on viewer characteristics, ensuring that each viewer sees content tailored to them. Kost is also convinced that content will be geared even more toward voice search in 2021. «This is because searches are increasingly being conducted via voice commands.»

Strategy Wins

When it comes to the practical implementation of campaigns for their clients, the specialists set different priorities. At Digital Leverage, a large portion of content marketing initiatives fall under the category of «thought leadership.» «We help companies create content that positions them on strategically important topics while simultaneously guiding potential customers through the customer journey and thereby building trust,» explains Marco Schlauri. In doing so, the company operates at the intersection of data and storytelling. The two founders of Digital Leverage also possess a high level of core expertise in the field of SEO. «We combine our years of expertise in this field with our passion for stories and our network of experts and content creators, which allows us to scale content creation faster than most in-house and agency teams can.»

Xeit also focuses on the development and implementation of comprehensive, detailed content strategies. «We structure the content around the customer’s »user journey« and »conversion funnel.« In doing so, we utilize all channels, from photos, graphics, animations, videos, infographics, white papers, and checklists to webinars and more,» explains Andrea Iltgen. One of Xeit’s specialties is the target-audience-specific and precisely targeted promotion of content. A detailed analysis of «sales funnels» is a central component of the content marketing strategies that Standout develops for its clients. «We design content that can influence the purchasing decision-making process as effectively as possible,» says Martin Kost. In some cases, Standout even creates the content itself. The focus here is particularly on distribution via social media and search engines, both through paid and organic channels. “We specialize particularly in lead generation strategies,” says Kost. Is content king? The decidedly critical Marco Schlauri doesn’t hesitate for a second: “If the topic is approached holistically and strategically, I’d agree 100 percent right away.”

Three Content Marketing Strategies

1. Reach Strategy: Create as many touchpoints as possible with potential customers through entertaining, informative, or advisory content. The focus here is on content promotion. Most often, the reach strategy is implemented through paid social media ads or via influencers.
2. Lead Generation Strategy: Use the right content to guide and influence customers through the «sales funnel» until they make contact. Content is created to align as closely as possible with the purchasing decision process and is typically delivered to prospects via marketing automation.
3. E-commerce Strategy: Encourage customers to make purchases in an online store through inspiring content. This usually centers on email marketing, with existing customers as the target audience.

(Source: Standout)

REQUESTED

«Good content marketing must be honest»

Robert Wildi from m&k asked Fabian Zürcher, Director of Ringier Brand Studio, what matters most in content marketing.

m&k: Mr. Zürcher, how important is effective content marketing today for building and retaining a customer base?

Fabian Zürcher: To paraphrase Clinton advisor Carville’s famous line, «It’s the story, stupid!» content marketing is a test of a brand’s core. If I can’t tell my customers a good story, I need to sharpen the message. Good content marketing serves a strategic function; it acts as a unifying thread and a foundation for further communication development. It’s also an excellent way to engage in dialogue—which is crucial for customer loyalty today.

In your opinion, what does the «magic of storytelling» entail?

Formally, of course, good storytelling. In terms of content: authenticity, good topics, and, above all, added value for the readers. It’s also important that the content aligns with the sender.

To what extent have the style and tone of content marketing changed in recent years?

Multimedia content hubs, interactive features, essays—the field has definitely evolved, both in terms of content and execution. Trust is built through expertise, transparency, and honest communication—by highlighting and explaining your strengths while not glossing over your weaknesses. For example, you can openly admit that in certain areas you’re not yet where you’d like to be, but that you’re working on it—and at the same time show exactly how. This approach worked very well in our collaboration with Philip Morris International.

Has the COVID-19 crisis had a direct impact on content marketing and storytelling?

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for fast and authentic communication. Content is a very efficient and effective tool in this regard.

Is good content marketing also interactive?

The idea is for users to engage with the brand. Interactive elements make this happen in a playful way, and they also help keep users on the site longer. Such measures certainly make sense if they fit the case.

How willing are customers to try new and unusual approaches?

Good content marketing must be honest. Honesty, in turn, requires courage. Content marketing is growing and improving at the same time. Accordingly, I believe that companies are generally becoming more courageous.

Can you describe, in a few sentences, a recent client example of modern and successful content marketing?

The most promising approaches are holistically conceived campaigns—those that develop a central thematic idea to serve as a unifying thread for both content-based and traditional marketing initiatives. This was the case in the retirement planning sector for Die Mobiliar, which incorporated the following elements: Service articles on owned and paid media, an interactive quiz titled «How much money will you have at 65?» to generate attention and raise awareness of the topic. Then, social media initiatives that promoted the content pieces while also distributing the content across the appropriate channels. Finally, video productions for Stories and social media channels, from which we simultaneously created content-driven ad banners. The campaign was very successful in terms of user numbers, CTR, engagement, and conversion.