With the rapidly evolving industry of web development it is essential to understand the ways in which the Web is advancing in order to ensure continued relevance for your website. With this in mind, here is the second of two important web trends for this year.

WEB TREND TWO: Content Marketing

Content is still king. Available content delivery channels continue to increase via websites, blogs, email, and especially social media platforms. With so many disparate types of content such as podcasts, infographics, webinars, and whitepapers an integrated content strategy is paramount.

In order to build trust with your audience you must provide content that is:

• Valuable
• Useful
• Helpful
• Timely
• Share-worthy

For maximum effectiveness, content needs to be tailored to the various delivery channels and target audience groups. When creating video content there are three good rules to follow.

1. Keep videos under two minutes in length
2. Focus on one topic per video
3. Ensure high video and audio quality

When information is submitted by multiple stakeholders it is recommended that a content guideline be developed and followed. Your content guideline should consider target audiences, identify consistent communication tone and avoid the use of industry jargon.

In 2012, Google’s search algorithm introduced the Penguin and Panda updates, increasing restrictions on previously successful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. With these new algorithms, Google continues to reward websites with high-quality content while penalizing sites with poor content.

Three great reference books on content marketing and strategy are recommended:

1. Content Marketing by Rebecca Lieb
2. Managing Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose
3. Content Strategy for the Web, 2nd Edition by Kristina Halverson and Melissa Rach