In a recent podcast on Marketingprofs.com, Mark Schaefer discussed the present and future market for content production and consumption. His initial outlook is from a purely economic view of supply and demand; ”the volume of free content is exploding”, and “our ability to consume that content … is finite”.

The implications for marketers he reasons, is that eventually the cost of creating compelling content will outgrow the ability of readers to consume that content.

Cost vs Conversion

Creating content today is relatively inexpensive. As the scale of content produced increases, the ability for small businesses and marketers to get their message out declines. This in turn imposes a cost that for the small producer to overcome is limited: “As this crunch intensifies and the cost to enter and compete in this field increases, content marketing as we know it may not be an economically viable option for some businesses.”

The marketers who adjust to this phenomenon will be the ones who succeed. With the Internet, this has always been the case. In the beginning, mass email marketing was the “new” strategy, followed by opt – in listing, and so on and so on. The marketer who adapts and manages to break through the “Content Shock” will survive.

Embracing the Omni Channel

How then are we as marketers to avoid the breakpoint where content produced exceeds content consumed? For Schaefer its embracing the Omni channel: “the Omni channel is ‘what is the customer experience? How do we create a seamless and consistent message … we need to be everywhere but we need to continue to surprise and delight our customers in a relevant and consistent way wherever they are.”

So, the marketer who is able to deliver fresh relevant and unique content in small bursts across multiple channels has a better chance of catching the interest of consumers. Targeting consumers who fit the profile associated with your product and brand increases the potential for reaching that market. As Schaefer states, “Not every customer will engage with you on every layer.” (don’t-look-now-web-strategy-become-Omni-channel).

Adapting to A Changing Landscape

But as David Wenig of EBay as quoted by Schaefer states: “understanding how to connect with your core customers across every way they want to connect – not the way you want them to connect but the way they want to connect with you – is a different skill.”

This skill is one that needs to be developed and polished in order to compete in a saturated market. Because multi channel customers now have the ability to “begin and end their shopping experience in the digital domain.” More importantly, consumers are using “multiple devices during a single transaction process.”

So attracting these customers has become a primary goal for the Omni – channel marketer. And by extension, hedging against the consequences of “content shock.”

 

References:

Content Shock: Why content marketing is not a sustainable strategy

http://www.businessesgrow.com/2014/01/27/best-content-rise-top/ http://www.marketingprofs.com/podcasts/2014/26092/omnichannel-brands-mark-schaefer-marketing-smarts http://www.businessesgrow.com/2014/09/02/dont-look-now-web-strategy-become-omni-channel/ http://rsrresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014XCStratRSR.pdf http://blog.marketo.com/2014/04/the-definition-of-omni-channel-marketing-plus-7-tips.html