Now that corporate America has embraced content strategy as its savior from the thematic randomness of its one-off marketing campaigns, I can’t help but think we’ve entered into something of a Content Strategy Bubble. Brands far and wide are in the process of transforming their marketing departments into newsrooms, certain that they will be crowned kings of the new brand storytelling movement. But the fickle, fast-moving web is already about to pass them by.
Pardon me for a second while I put on my cynic suit. I sometimes wonder if the urgency with which brands are being asked to embrace content marketing initiatives (and the content strategy that must support these initiatives) is more a reflection of the urgency that thousands of former journalists must feel as they look to carve out a new industry in the wake of the newspaper’s demise.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of putting journalists back to work. Brand journalism is a clever solution — albeit a potentially bitter, soul-sucking corporate-driven, lawyer-laced one.
Visual Strategists will be in demand
But don’t get too comfortable. Visual imagery will soon supplant this trendy text-heavy marketing movement. After all, as we know, nobody reads. Beware the next wave of Visual Strategists, who will pop the content strategy bubble and help employ throngs of unemployed photographers. So to my fellow writers, enjoy the content marketing gold rush while it lasts! Here’s a free, complimentary visual Content Strategy Bubble to compensate you for reading this post.
