Future of Paid Search: Think Target Audiences, Not Just Keywords

Keywords are awesome. We can't target an individual person on search, we can target a group of people who share a common characteristic: they've typed in a specific term (or offshoot/variant of that term).

Keywords offer us a lot of granularity (giving us a way to group people into smaller buckets). Keywords also actually tell us something about the person. That's valuable. We all know about the intent-based wonders of marketing on search.

But Keywords Aren't Enough

Granularity is good. So surely more granularity is better? It's true.

There are lots of reasons a person might search for your brand name. Someone might have seen your TV ad and want to buy your product. A job candidate might be preparing for an interview. A delivery driver might be looking for your address.

If I gave you five minutes and asked you to write down every reason somebody might search for your brand term, I'm sure you could come up with dozens. So that's a good example of a keyword grouping that didn't really group people very much.

It works for non-brand keywords too. If I sell flowers, I might advertise on "red roses". Admittedly that's a bit broad, but let's just try the same exercise. Somebody searching for "red roses" might be looking to order a bouquet online, but they might also be after a local store that stocks them, or looking for pictures for an online article, or trying to learn what chemical makes them red.

So a keyword is a good start, but it's not enough to really break people down into potential purchasers versus others.

Adding Granularity Through Targeting

We've been given new buckets. New targeting methods in addition to keywords that we can use to help us add granularity.

At first it doesn't sound like it. The new targets are pretty broad. You can read our analysis of them here.

Time of day, location, device and remarketing status are pretty big buckets. But we're not targeting them on their own. Always in conjunction with a keyword.

What is a Target, Really?

Targets in this sense are any of the features we know about a person. At the moment it's just the list above. But targets aren't helpful to us, what we need are audiences.

Choosing Your Target Audiences

Yes. An audience (by my definition) is a group of targets that specify the smallest possible bucket of people.

Imagine that we only have two devices: desktop and mobile. That immediately splits our "red roses" searches into two smaller groups: mobile red roses and desktop red roses. We don't know much more, but we know something.

If it's fair to assume that each of these groups has a different likelihood of purchasing online from us, then we can use that information (the conversion rate) to finagle our bids.

Now let's break locations down into two: areas I can deliver in and areas I can't deliver in. That immediately splits our two groups into four. That's a lot more information than we had with just the keyword.

Now let's add the time of day (and keep it simple again): when our store is open or when it's closed. Eight groups! From just one keyword!

Many of these combinations carry no special connotations beyond the keyword itself.

If somebody is looking to order something online in the future, then my opening hours probably don't matter. If somebody is on their mobile near my store, then the opening hours definitely do!

So now we need to think about those groups that will definitely behave differently from other groups. Those are my audiences.

People who have purchased from me before, who are in my delivery area (or searching for a location in my delivery area, we have that control). That's a great audience.

People who are looking for generics and are near my store while I'm open. Bingo!

Your homework assignment is to think about the targeting methods available, and choose the target audiences. Those really granular groups that we can achieve by layering all the targets onto each other.

Identify Important Groups

There are far too many groups. Like, a ridiculous number.

We used simple breakdowns in our examples above to look at locations, or time of day. Actually different locations or times or days of the week might have different conversion rates, and deserve different bids.

Once you start adding in all your varied remarketing lists things get really interesting. So you're not talking about eight groups per keyword, but dozens of groups per keyword.

Identifying the good ones is a non-trivial task. But it can be done. Because you only need to identify the really important groups up front, and the rest can wait until you start to see the data – previous customers, people really near you (especially on a brand search), etc.

Think about your own business and create this list.

How We Need to Plan Paid Search Campaigns in the Future

It isn't just about eeking out a little extra performance now. This is a wholesale change in the way you should be thinking about campaigns.

Keywords are still part of it, but you need to constantly be thinking about what every different piece of information you know about a person means for your audiences.

How do you use this to target people? What ads should you be using? How should you be bidding?

For the next year the best paid search managers will be the people who can understand (and explain to others) the core concepts of how to target these people above and beyond keyword groups. When you've got that in your head comfortably you will be able to see how search fits in a modern strategy, and start looking for those same audiences across the web.

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Mar 31 - Apr 3 - ClickZ Live is a brand new global conference series kicking off in New York City. Learn how to improve customer engagement and attain maximum ROI, and gain invaluable digital marketing and advertising take-aways.Find out more ››
*Super Saver Rates expire Jan 24.

Top 10 Predictions for Video in 2014

A year ago, Search Engine Watch reported that the Marines had launched a new Pandora-inspired YouTube channel. And today, we've been inspired by the Marines to predict at least 7 out of the top 10 trends for video in 2014.

Now, why should anyone shoot for a 70 percent success rate? According to Lawrence Harmon of The Boston Globe:

The US Marine Corps strives for a similar outcome when entering the field of battle. There is rarely time to gather all the facts, and surprises are inevitable. So, Marine officers are taught to go forward when a plan has about a 70 percent chance of working. Waiting for perfect conditions means nothing gets done.

With that in mind, here are our top 10 predictions for video in 2014.

1. Mobile Video Will Explode on Smartphones and Tablets

Mobile video has grown rapidly in the past two years, but 2014 will be the year that it explodes. Why?

The obvious answer is greater smartphone penetration, supported by the rollout of various 4G networks across a number of territories.

According to Cisco, more consumers in emerging markets are acquiring handsets, bandwidth is improving, and 37 percent of consumer media consumption already takes place on mobile devices. It's a trend that looks likely to continue into 2014, with Cisco predicting mobile video to increase 25-fold between 2011 and 2016, accounting for over 70 percent of total mobile data traffic by the end of their forecast period.

2. Short-Form Video Content Will Go Mainstream

The arrival of short-form content platforms was one of the inevitable surprises in 2013 and its rise is one of the more predictable trends in 2014. Although Vine was launched only 11 months ago and Video on Instagram didn't debut until June, they now boast around 200 million users between them.

Several important micro-trends have been associated with short-form video content. Brevity has made product teases cool again, with fashion houses like Burberry releasing sneak-peeks of its collections and USA Today teasing tomorrow's headlines.

Stop-motion animation has thrived on the Vine format. Never far behind, brands like Lowe's and French Connection have jumped on this trend, producing some of the most inventive and shareable branded Vines around.

3. Agile Video Marketing Will Become 'the New Normal'

Marketers are increasingly expected to create video content on the fly, responding in real time to new data, surging trends, current news events, and consumer feedback. Looking forward into 2014, this agile video marketing trend will become "the new normal."

This kind of rapid-response will see agencies buying media based on social signals and brands becoming more like newsrooms, curating as well as creating content as they strive to deliver timely, trending, engaging content that their audience will love. Speed will be more important than ever and advertisers will look to tools that help automate the discovery of trending content to ensure they can respond to breaking news as quickly as possible.

4. Blurred Lines Between Music Videos and Ads

In 2013, viewers started seeing Beyonce's video for H&M, Lady Gaga's partnership with Kia's Hamsters, Italian singer Arianna and rapper Pitbull's music video for 'The FIAT Song', as well as Volvo's partnership with Swedish House Mafia.

If you think about it, the next logical step is for the line between music videos and ads to blur in 2014. Why is this likely to happen?

Music videos are already the most shared videos of all time. Just look at the Unruly Viral Video Chart, which ranks videos by the number of shares they attract across Twitter, Facebook, and the blogosphere. Only one video out of the top 100 videos of all time is not a music video and it's Kony 2012, which ranks 93rd.Music and advertising make a magical combination. If you look at the Mashable Global Ads Chart, the vast majority of top 100 brands' social videos of all time boast an incredible song or catchy jingle. It's not hard to see why. After all, recent academic research has found that the most shared ads elicit the strongest emotionsfrom its audience. And what better way to elicit strong feelings of joy, sadness, or exhilaration than through music?5. Super Bowl 2014 Will Create Yet Another Pyrrhic Victory

After spending $4 million for a 30-second spot during Super Bowl 2014, some advertiser will be declared the winner of the "Big Game". But real-time polling by React Labs will show that this is just another Pyrrhic victory.

Immediately after last year's Super Bowl, React Labs and Frank N. Magid Associates announced that consumers had the strongest response to Budweiser Super Bowl Ad 2013 - The Clydesdales Brotherhood – significantly outperforming everything else. The strong emotional connection, driven by a strong musical track, clearly drew in their respondents and brought them along. Despite that power, their respondents reported little to no intent to purchase while watching the spot.

This trend isn't about to change until today's advertisers re-read what David Ogilvy wrote 30 years ago: "When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me that you find it 'creative'. I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product."

6. P&G Will Take Home the Gold Again in Winter Olympics

Just as it did for the Summer Olympics in 2012, Unruly will create a Brand Tracker interactive infographic for the Winter Olympics in 2014. And just as it did two years ago, P&G will take home the gold again in the race for social videos from official Olympic sponsors that generate the most social media buzz.

Why will P&G top the official Olympics ads chart yet again? As Damon Runyon once said, "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet."

7. Nike and Pepsi Will Score Exhilarating Goals at the World Cup in Brazil

In her recent book Viral Marketing: The Science of Sharing, Dr. Karen Nelson-Field of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute revealed that exhilaration is the emotion that's most likely (65 percent) to help brands cut through the clutter and help viewers recall their message. Hilarity, the most overused emotional trigger, is the second, with 51 percent recall.

Going into 2014, this trend will only get stronger as the world's gaze falls upon Brazil for the World Cup. When Unruly trained its algorithmic tool to predict viral success in the Brazilian market, the marketing technology company discovered that exhilaration was the most effective emotional trigger in the Latin American country, more effective than humor, which is the most popular emotional sharing trigger in the US and UK.

Look for Nike and Pepsi, which hijacked the World Cup in 2010, to score exhilarating goals again in 2014. Neither Nike nor Pepsi was an "official" sponsor four years ago. Nevertheless, they demonstrated that the open distribution and virality of the web had created a whole new path for ambush marketing.

8. Endorsements by Kids, Parents, and Siblings Will Win Elections

Virtually everyone in politics noted the impact on the outcome of the Mayor's race in New York City by the endorsement of Bill de Blasio by his son Dante.

During the 2014 midterm elections for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, state governorships, and state legislatures, we'll see plenty of "surprise endorsements" by kids, parents, siblings, and in-laws instead of the traditional "Airing of Grievances", which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. Why? As the song "New York, New York" reminds us, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere."

And, because of YouTube's new comment system, these political candidates will have new tools to review comments before they're posted, block certain words, or save time by auto-approving comments from certain fans. These features can help them spend less time moderating comments by trolls and haters on YouTube, and more time fending off family feuds on Facebook.

9. YouTube Will Have Its "Bay of Pigs Moment"

In early July 2013, Search Engine Watch took a hard look at "How to Make Money on YouTube" and concluded: "The number of advertisers who are using TrueView in-stream ads needs to increase significantly and/or the amount of money they spend on YouTube advertising needs to increase dramatically, or an awful lot of poor YouTube Partners are going to face a hard decision this winter: remain starving artists or look for another day job."

Later that month, downLOADED, the show where opinionated geek and tech pundits gather around to discuss issues and news impacting technology and its users, asked, "Is YouTube's Business Model Broken?"

And in December 2013, Geoff Yang, a Partner at Redpoint Ventures, posted "Big Idea 2014: YouTube's Bay of Pigs Moment"on LinkedIn. Yang wrote:

From where I sit, this is YouTube's Bay of Pigs moment. As you may recall, the CIA funded and encouraged rebel troops in Cuba to overthrow the Castro government. But that encouragement was not accompanied by the proper operational and air support to ensure victory. So the rebel upstarts did not prevail over the establishment. Let's hope that YouTube does not make the same mistake and doom its chance to be pioneers in creating the next generation of content networks and unseat the traditional media establishment."

So, it's a good bet that YouTube will have its "Bay of Pigs Moment" in 2014, fix its broken business model, and help a million partners who are trying to build a sustainable career on YouTube and beyond.

10. YouTube Will Redesign its One Channel

The initial YouTube One Channel was supposed to make channel art "scale beautifully to any size screen," and ensure that social and merchandise links would be "available on any device with a browser." But, this list now includes a much wider variety of brands as well as whole new categories of devices.

For example, Google's $35 Chromecast wasn't launched until July 2013. By December, Hiawatha Bray of The Boston Globe was saying, "Dead simple and dirt cheap, Chromecast is a near-perfect stocking stuffer."

Then, in August 2013, Google's official blog for news, tips, and information on AdSense announced "we're launching the TrueView video ad format across our games monetization platforms." TrueView Instream skippable video ads drive a lot of advertiser demand on YouTube, the Ad Exchange, and AdSense for video.

So, only a few YouTube Partners will complain when they have to tweak their channel art again in 2014 so it will "look good everywhere – laptops, phones, tablets, TVs, refrigerators, or any place with pixels."

Surprises are Inevitable, but Act Like a Leader of 'Leathernecks'

Remember, even if three of these 10 predictions for 2014 are off target, video marketers should still act like the leaders of "leathernecks" and move forward. Yes, surprises are inevitable, but in this rapidly developing and highly competitive field, waiting for perfect conditions is not an option.

 

See what's on the Agenda!
Mar 31 - Apr 3 - ClickZ Live is a brand new global conference series kicking off in New York City. Learn how to improve customer engagement and attain maximum ROI, and gain invaluable digital marketing and advertising take-aways.Find out more ››
*Super Saver Rates expire Jan 24.

PPC Excel Tips For Every Level: Part 3, Advanced Level Keyword Research And Data Visualization

We close out our three-part series of Excel tips from�Bing Ads Evangelist John Gagnon today with some advanced level tools that, in fact, even beginners can start using successfully today. While many of the tips we’ve covered can also help SEOs as well as PPC practitioners, today’s focus on keyword research is particularly relevant to both camps.

Advanced Tip: Bing Ads Intelligence for deep-dive keyword research and Power BI for big data analysis and visualization.

Bing Ads Intelligence is an Excel add-in for keyword research that enables Excel to integrate directly with your Bing Ads accounts. However, you can use this tool for keyword research outside of Bing Ads campaigns as well.

Once you download the add-in, you’ll see the Bing Ads Intelligence tab in the top navigation. If you want to download your campaign data, sign in to your Bing Ads account by clicking “Sign In” icon to the far right. You can then see your keywords along with performance metrics.

 

These are John’s top 3 features in Bing Ads Intelligence:

1. Keyword Suggestions: Keyword recommendations fine-tuned from Yahoo Bing Network data.

What’s also interesting about the Keyword Suggestion tool is that it will give include suggestions for match types not currently in our account along with the performance data and estimated bids for mainline and sidebar positions. Not only that, but you can run the Keyword Suggestion tool for any list of keywords, not just those already in your account, and it will show the broad, phrase and exact match statistics for each variation. Don’t want to look at phrase match types? Just use the filter to hide them from the list.2. Traffic: See the number of searches users conducted on the Yahoo Bing Network for a specific query.

The Traffic tool can be used to look at multiple keywords or one. The cool thing about this feature is you can see historical trending and you can break out performance by device. In the example below, I’ve chosen to see the traffic performance of the keyword “classic cars sale” on Desktops and Laptops and then on Smart phones by week. In this example, Desktop and laptop traffic trended down closer to Thanksgiving, while Smart phone traffic actually ticked up slightly in that final week of November. You could break this down by day if you wanted as well.

3. Keyword Performance: For any keyword, it will show you a snapshot of keyword performance by position.This can be powerful when trying to estimate traffic and set bidding strategies, says John. Again, these don’t need to be words you are currently bidding on in your account, and you can separate results based on device type and match type. To see the performance stats for a keyword by every position, select “All” at the bottom of the Ad Position drop down menu as shown below.

Quick note: You’ll notice the shading in several columns in the tables above. This is done using Conditional Formatting, found under the Home tab. Conditional Formatting allows you to shade and color cells based on their values to be able to better visualize opportunities and problems.

In the Keyword List Generator template shown below, conditional formatting rules are set using the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager to show a different color in each metric column. In this table you can quickly see that, while the search volume for “buy new laptop” is relatively low, the CPC and Average Bid are high. With this template, you can add any sequence of keywords you want. Hitting the “Refresh All” button under the Bing Ads Intelligence tab will update the data keyword variations.

You can find this template and others for download by clicking the “Keyword Research Templates” button under the Bing Ads Intelligence Tab. There is much more to explore with this tool, so if you haven’t done so,�download it and start experimenting.

Power BI

For those with the right software, Microsoft’s new Power BI tools for Excel offers advanced-level tools for data analysis. Here is the feature set for Excel in Power BI

Power Query � Connect to data from public and corporate data sources including databases, web pages, even Facebook graph data.Power Pivot � Data Modelling tool that can handle nearly 2 billion rows of dataPower View � Create reports and analytical views with interactive data visualizationsPower Map �Visualize your campaign (or other) data geographically in 3-D within Excel

John is especially excited about Power Map for search advertisers. With it you can take the “geographic location” data from the dimensions report in Bing Ads and put it into Power Map to see where clicks are coming from by geographic location, for example.

There is a barrier to entry here, however. You will need Office Professional Plus 2013 or Office 365 ProPlus to run Power Map. If you meet those requirements, the Power Map and Power Query can be downloaded here. If you’re working with huge amounts of campaign data, Power BI tools could give you the bandwidth you need. Power Map also has broader applications beyond your own campaign data. You can import third-party or your CRM data to map out and see where your current customer and prospect bases are located for clearer insights into content development and campaign targeting. Think about the types of data sources available to you and how they might be able to inform your marketing efforts in new ways using Power BI tools.

That closes out our PPC Excel Tips series, just in time to usher in 2014. If you have tips and tricks of your own to share, please do so in the comments below.

Why Content Marketing is a Definitive Method for Success in 2014

Over the course of the past year, content marketing has really taken the spotlight. While the importance of quality content has been preached for a long time, in 2013 it proved to be the talk of the digital marketing industry and beyond.

A regular marketing tool for many companies, content creation became a prime method for success in 2013 and will become a definitive one in 2014.

While "content" is a common term, the past year has consisted of truly digging in and finding the precise definition and methods that go along with it. As a result of this yearlong brainstorm came a good amount of content strategy insights.

What We Realized About Content in 2013Content is More Than Just Text

Content doesn't just have to be text. In fact, it can be a lot more than that.

Think about the various ways people learn. Some individuals are kinesthetic and hands-on while others are auditory learners and can take something straight from what they here, while a great many are visual may prefer to read something straight from a page or on a screen.

Content marketing is no different. It should be a mixture of types that can adhere to diverse learning styles.

For example, using video or even an infographic as a form of content can be an extremely beneficial and noteworthy way to communicate your brand and help you stand far apart from your competitors. Not only are you encompassing the auditory piece, but you're also providing a visual outlet.

We've also learned that shorter content isn't necessarily the be all and end all, but rather as long as you are communicating your message and your brand, content can be any length necessary for what you're trying to accomplish.

Mobile is a Go!

In 2013 we've really started to confirm the importance of mobile, and this includes content as well. How many people out there search for things via their mobile browser, specifically when on the go? I know I do.

Creating content that is effective on a mobile device can absolutely increase your chances of success overall; by being represented properly on the devices and platforms that individuals have access to, the better success rate you will have in the long-term.

Creating distinctive content that is suitable for specific devices while sticking with your niche and holding the interest of your followers, you'll be that much more likely to achieve a content marketing victory.

Content is a Piece of the Big Picture

In the past year, we've realized that content isn't a lone unit and as such, many have begun to implement it as a part of their digital strategies as a whole.

Rather than creating content and simply hoping that your customers will be attracted to it, we've begun to truly look into the heart of our followers, in turn discovering the content best suited to them and creating it and from there, delving into promotion via social and beyond.

Tell Your Story With Content

Not only that, but we've realized that content isn't just about discussing a product that you may carry. Rather, it's about using content to communicate who you are as a brand.

You can easily tell your story by way of content; write a blog post with a personal touch, create a video showing your daily grind. By being transparent to your followers, you will likely gain and even greater audience by making known who you are and what you want to accomplish with your business.

Keep Promoting Your Content

While 2013 has been a year of new and interesting content, we've realized that just because something may be older and created a while back doesn't mean that it won't be of interest currently. By re-promoting your older content, you'll be able to bring your audience back to something that they may have forgotten about or missed entirely.

So just because something may be considered "outdated," don't let it fall to the wayside; keep on promoting it and see where it goes.

Where Are We Going in 2014?Content is Worth the Investment

In 2014, the realization of the dire importance of content within business models is going to continue. Budgets are have already allocated more funds to content strategies both in the U.S. and around the world, and content budgets for 2014 have already shown total increases.

While some may assume that since content marketing is newer and more unique than traditional marketing, that it will cost more. But, this isn't the case.

Content marketing doesn't necessarily cost as much as traditional marketing does. Plus, you will most likely give you even more leads and sales as a result.

Right now many businesses are taking a look at their content efforts from 2013 and deciding upon which strategies worked, which didn't, and how they can improve upon their tactics in the New Year.

We're going to start looking more into our audiences and finding more locations in which to promote our content. Many people are seeking to just get their content out there and aren't necessarily digging deep to find out who the best followers would be.

Also consider the number of content-specific conferences out there. This number has skyrocketed; and what does this tell us? Simply that people want to learn about content; how to create it, how to be successful, and how it can help their businesses to prosper.

'Content Combat'

With so many companies increasing their content investments in 2014, it could become a true battle for search visibility, even if the content you create is of high quality. So what can you do?

Make sure that your content is unique and the true voice of your brand. Make sure you know the ins and outs of your audience and are speaking directly to them and their interests with each and every piece of content that you create.

Strategies on the Way

Rather than aimlessly throwing content out on the web, people and businesses are going to start working with actual strategies for content creation and promotion. This includes documenting and tracking everything in order to locate successes and failures.

Use an editorial calendar to keep track of your content in 2014. By planning everything out on a calendar, you'll ensure that you keep everything in line with your goals.

If you weren't before, measure your results; whether you do this with an old-fashioned spreadsheet or with the help of Google Analytics. By measuring and analyzing your success, you'll be able to decide where you want to definitively go with your content in the future.

Google's Influence on Content: Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird

All of Google's updates in 2013 have proven how important content is, and how important it will continue to be as we enter into 2014.

Content in 2014 is going to be a lot more like a good old conversation that you might have with a co-worker in the hallway. Thanks to the Hummingbird algorithm, Google searches are akin to the way that we naturally speak, so content is going to be forced to adjust to these conversational searches.

Here's to Content in 2014

No matter what day, month, or year it is, content is in the works, and in a big way. A big picture word nowadays, content has truly driven the industry into new realms in 2013, and 2014 will be sure to be another adventurous year. So here's to content in 2014 and the many places it will continue to take us.

What are your predictions for the year to come?

See what's on the Agenda!
Mar 31 - Apr 3 - ClickZ Live is a brand new global conference series kicking off in New York City. Learn how to improve customer engagement and attain maximum ROI, and gain invaluable digital marketing and advertising take-aways.Find out more ››
*Super Saver Rates expire Jan 24.

Why Content Marketing is a Definitive Method for Success in 2014

Over the course of the past year, content marketing has really taken the spotlight. While the importance of quality content has been preached for a long time, in 2013 it proved to be the talk of the digital marketing industry and beyond.

A regular marketing tool for many companies, content creation became a prime method for success in 2013 and will become a definitive one in 2014.

While "content" is a common term, the past year has consisted of truly digging in and finding the precise definition and methods that go along with it. As a result of this yearlong brainstorm came a good amount of content strategy insights.

What We Realized About Content in 2013Content is More Than Just Text

Content doesn't just have to be text. In fact, it can be a lot more than that.

Think about the various ways people learn. Some individuals are kinesthetic and hands-on while others are auditory learners and can take something straight from what they here, while a great many are visual may prefer to read something straight from a page or on a screen.

Content marketing is no different. It should be a mixture of types that can adhere to diverse learning styles.

For example, using video or even an infographic as a form of content can be an extremely beneficial and noteworthy way to communicate your brand and help you stand far apart from your competitors. Not only are you encompassing the auditory piece, but you're also providing a visual outlet.

We've also learned that shorter content isn't necessarily the be all and end all, but rather as long as you are communicating your message and your brand, content can be any length necessary for what you're trying to accomplish.

Mobile is a Go!

In 2013 we've really started to confirm the importance of mobile, and this includes content as well. How many people out there search for things via their mobile browser, specifically when on the go? I know I do.

Creating content that is effective on a mobile device can absolutely increase your chances of success overall; by being represented properly on the devices and platforms that individuals have access to, the better success rate you will have in the long-term.

Creating distinctive content that is suitable for specific devices while sticking with your niche and holding the interest of your followers, you'll be that much more likely to achieve a content marketing victory.

Content is a Piece of the Big Picture

In the past year, we've realized that content isn't a lone unit and as such, many have begun to implement it as a part of their digital strategies as a whole.

Rather than creating content and simply hoping that your customers will be attracted to it, we've begun to truly look into the heart of our followers, in turn discovering the content best suited to them and creating it and from there, delving into promotion via social and beyond.

Tell Your Story With Content

Not only that, but we've realized that content isn't just about discussing a product that you may carry. Rather, it's about using content to communicate who you are as a brand.

You can easily tell your story by way of content; write a blog post with a personal touch, create a video showing your daily grind. By being transparent to your followers, you will likely gain and even greater audience by making known who you are and what you want to accomplish with your business.

Keep Promoting Your Content

While 2013 has been a year of new and interesting content, we've realized that just because something may be older and created a while back doesn't mean that it won't be of interest currently. By re-promoting your older content, you'll be able to bring your audience back to something that they may have forgotten about or missed entirely.

So just because something may be considered "outdated," don't let it fall to the wayside; keep on promoting it and see where it goes.

Where Are We Going in 2014?Content is Worth the Investment

In 2014, the realization of the dire importance of content within business models is going to continue. Budgets are have already allocated more funds to content strategies both in the U.S. and around the world, and content budgets for 2014 have already shown total increases.

While some may assume that since content marketing is newer and more unique than traditional marketing, that it will cost more. But, this isn't the case.

Content marketing doesn't necessarily cost as much as traditional marketing does. Plus, you will most likely give you even more leads and sales as a result.

Right now many businesses are taking a look at their content efforts from 2013 and deciding upon which strategies worked, which didn't, and how they can improve upon their tactics in the New Year.

We're going to start looking more into our audiences and finding more locations in which to promote our content. Many people are seeking to just get their content out there and aren't necessarily digging deep to find out who the best followers would be.

Also consider the number of content-specific conferences out there. This number has skyrocketed; and what does this tell us? Simply that people want to learn about content; how to create it, how to be successful, and how it can help their businesses to prosper.

'Content Combat'

With so many companies increasing their content investments in 2014, it could become a true battle for search visibility, even if the content you create is of high quality. So what can you do?

Make sure that your content is unique and the true voice of your brand. Make sure you know the ins and outs of your audience and are speaking directly to them and their interests with each and every piece of content that you create.

Strategies on the Way

Rather than aimlessly throwing content out on the web, people and businesses are going to start working with actual strategies for content creation and promotion. This includes documenting and tracking everything in order to locate successes and failures.

Use an editorial calendar to keep track of your content in 2014. By planning everything out on a calendar, you'll ensure that you keep everything in line with your goals.

If you weren't before, measure your results; whether you do this with an old-fashioned spreadsheet or with the help of Google Analytics. By measuring and analyzing your success, you'll be able to decide where you want to definitively go with your content in the future.

Google's Influence on Content: Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird

All of Google's updates in 2013 have proven how important content is, and how important it will continue to be as we enter into 2014.

Content in 2014 is going to be a lot more like a good old conversation that you might have with a co-worker in the hallway. Thanks to the Hummingbird algorithm, Google searches are akin to the way that we naturally speak, so content is going to be forced to adjust to these conversational searches.

Here's to Content in 2014

No matter what day, month, or year it is, content is in the works, and in a big way. A big picture word nowadays, content has truly driven the industry into new realms in 2013, and 2014 will be sure to be another adventurous year. So here's to content in 2014 and the many places it will continue to take us.

What are your predictions for the year to come?

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2013 Web Analytics Year in Review

With multiple updates each month, 2013 was a huge year for the Google Analytics team. The changes included several improvements to the user interface, the introduction of several real-time reports, new APIs, and a plethora of reports to help you understand visitor behavior through new segments and acquisition reports.

Visually, Google Analytics received a few design changes.

The Analytics team kicked off 2013 in January, creating a new interface for widgets in dashboard reports and in the main navigation. Search functionality returned and keyboard shortcuts were introduced as the entire Google Analytics UI received an overhaul.

Just a short few months later, Google announced Administration area changes that led to better access controls and ultimately led to a streamlined admin panel redesign.

New Google Analytics Reports

The user interface changes were merely the tip of the iceberg for Google Analytics in 2013. Tracking visitor acquisition became a major deal. Starting in March, the Google Analytics team released Acquisitions Reporting. The Traffic Sources report category was renamed to Acquisitions Reports, adding new attribution reports in the process. These reports included overviews for acquisitions and channels.

Borrowing from Webmaster Tools, a new Speed Suggestions Report was also added to Google Analytics in November.

To help make more sense of these reports, the Analytics team added 19 new filters, streamlined how you set up goals, and completely revamped advanced segments adding new segments, cohort analysis, and sequences all rolled into a new user interface.

Image Credit: Justin Cutroni

Developers, Developers, Developers...

There were plenty of changes throughout 2013 to keep developers busy trying out new code and adding features. Premium users were treated to access to Big Query to help process extremely large Analytics data sets.

In June, we were treated to an API for content experiments, followed by a Real-Time Analytics API before summer was out. Administrators not only saw an interface change with better access controls, for the first time in 2013, they were also able to see a change history.

Universal Analytics for Everyone

Google started off spring offering everyone the chance to use Universal Analytics, enabling better tracking on-page and opening up for ease of tracking users between devices. When first introduced, however, Universal Analytics required its own account profile.

In October, the team announced a Universal Analytics upgrade tool to migrate your current profile to Universal Analytics. If you use it, remember to change your tracking code, too.

Mobile Analytics

In testing for many months, by mid-2013, My Analytics was released by KISS Metrics. Specifically for iOS, the tool simplified getting analytics data on the go, offering quick access to visits, visitors, pageviews, goals, and ecommerce reports using your current Google Analytics account.

As if prompted, by the end of September, Google Analytics launched an entirely new version of their app for Android.

Open Source Analytics

Lastly, in a project over two years in the making, the folks over at Piwik finally announced this week they have released version 2 of their open analytics platform. The open source alternative to Google Analytics, Piwik also released Piwik Mobile 2.0 which shows more data and requires less clicks to get the data you're looking for.

Looking Ahead...

Google Analytics hasn't stopped moving forward.

In 2014, expect to see more changes to multi-channel and attribution reporting. Recent trends also suggest Google Analytics may start incorporating various other reports from Webmaster Tools, especially those with respect to visitor behavior.

Any way you look at it, this is an exciting time to be an analyst.

See what's on the Agenda!
Mar 31 - Apr 3 - ClickZ Live is a brand new global conference series kicking off in New York City. Learn how to improve customer engagement and attain maximum ROI, and gain invaluable digital marketing and advertising take-aways.Find out more ››
*Super Saver Rates expire Jan 24.