What’s the Future of Content Marketing and Paid Advertising

3 minute read

Upland Admin

There’s no doubt about it: the content-meets-paid advertising ecosystem is more competitive than ever—and that competition is only going to increase. The reasons why are clear: As a timeless, powerful marketing asset, content can persuade audiences in key decision-making moments. From launching Facebook ads that reach new audiences to retargeting your website visitors, micro-moments are what make content marketing successful. As a mechanism for building relationships at scale, the success of your content campaign depends on your ability to deliver the right message to the right audiences at the right time.

But Here’s the Challenge

It’s getting harder to capture peoples’ attention. In the paid advertising ecosystem, pay-per-click (PPC) models are becoming more competitive, with many companies competing in auctions over similar keywords and targeting criteria. It’s not enough to have a broad-sweeping campaign. Your messaging needs to be relevant and directly tied to your readers’ pain points and needs.

The future of content marketing and paid advertising is in precision. Here are a few reasons why:

1. When you target the right audience with the right messaging, your sales funnel becomes more efficient. Your marketing engine feels less like a leaky bucket.

2. When you’re more precise in your targeting, your advertising becomes less expensive. Rather than targeting a broad audience, you can focus on audiences who are likely to take action on your messaging.

3. When you concentrate on a particular persona or group of prospects, paid advertising becomes a more effective marketing channel. Rather than testing channels randomly, you can choose the ones that are likely to make an impact.

Simple Steps to Building More Efficient Campaigns

There are a few simple steps that your  marketing team can build more useful content programs and corresponding paid advertising campaigns:

  • Choose a very specific persona as your anchor. Understand what your target audience cares about and how they are absorbing information online. Conduct interviews and observational research to understand your audiences’ pain points and needs.
  • Figure out which acquisition and retention channels are most effective for reaching these groups. Research companies that market to these same audiences.
  • Choose paid advertising channels where your target audiences are most likely to respond and engage.

This simple framework will help ensure that your marketing distribution channels are well-aligned with your content—and that your content serves as an educational anchor in your sales process. Otherwise, you risk wasting resources. In one simple word, the future of content marketing and paid advertising is alignment.

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