Ever wonder where the phrase “Content is King” originated? Almost two decades ago in the beginning of January 1996, the almighty computer king himself, Mr. Bill Gates wrote an article by the same name. In this piece, he predicted, “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting.”

He went on to state, “One of the exciting things about the Internet is that anyone with a PC and a modem can publish whatever content they can create,” and his prediction has already come to pass. At the time his essay was posted on the Microsoft website, content marketing was practically non-existent, but today it accounts for more than $51 billion dollars in online revenue and is expected to reach over $100 billion by 2019.

Since content continues to rule, let’s look at some winning strategies for 2015 when it comes to utilizing this valuable marketing technique:

The Mobile First Mentality Using Coupons

Statistics continue to prove that mobile is an absolute must for marketing since more people own a cell phone than possess a toothbrush. The sun may have already set on the popularity of “extreme couponing,” since smartphone users are redeeming their mobile coupons at a rate of between 5-15% compared to 1% or less of the traditional paper variety. The vast majority of mobile users, 63% of them, feel that a coupon delivered on their handheld device would be the most effective way to get them shopping, so this important strategy should not be ignored.

Distribution Over Publication

Just as Bill Gates stated in his article, practically anyone can publish whatever type of content they create online, but what good is your valuable information on the internet if no one is reading or seeing it on the vast world wide web? Here are a few ways to help ensure your content is being found more effectively:

• Targeting and Personalization: Using demographics, interests and other relevant information, target your audiences according to this valuable information.

• Professional Relationships: Create a sharing bond with other businesses and their important influencers and more consumers will see your content when associated with publications and websites they already know and trust.

• Relevant Communities: Once you’ve published your content, reach out to relevant communities that may take an interest in your information.

• Paid Distribution: Consider the use of paid promotions, suggested posts or sites like Outbrain to help boost amplification of content.

• Logo Design Maker: Great content works best when paired with a brand or logo. That will create the connection between your company and the fulfillment of looking at whatever content you’re putting out, thus expanding your audience and their affinity for your business.

Better Emailing Techniques

In a world where email in-baskets are cluttered with spam and other unwanted messages, marketers who wish to continue using this marketing strategy need to take a more sophisticated approach. According to a recent HubSpot survey, almost 40% of women and 30% of men never purchase products through an email proposal. If marketers are going to use email for their content delivery, they must make their messages more personalized, relevant and interesting for their recipients in order to be effective.

Measure Results

To continue reaching more readers, use tools like Google Analytics to measure results and change strategies and techniques according to this information. Don’t be afraid to try new avenues if the online pathways you are using are not effective.

In a day and age when everyone is trying to get noticed online, utilizing better strategies will help get our content to stand out from the crowd. Better engaging with our internet audience with a more personalized approach is key to success today and in the future.

Nick Rojas is a business consultant and writer who lives in Los Angeles and Chicago. He has consulted small and medium-sized enterprises for over twenty years. He has contributed articles to Visual.ly, Entrepreneur, and TechCrunch. You can follow him on Twitter @NickARojas, or you can reach him at NickAndrewRojas@gmail.com.

Filed under: Marketing Trends, Online Marketing