Content marketing is a fast-moving, always changing field. Technology improves with lightning-quick speed, and the hottest, most effective content marketing techniques adjust to keep pace. Users connect through multiple media and devices, and new platforms seem to crop up every day. It’s a fun, never-a-dull-moment kind of industry to be in.

And it looks like 2013 will be no different. The most important stat may be that 9 out of 10 marketers use content marketing, but the ways in which marketers are deploying that content are always evolving. Here’s a look at some of the trends we see continuing through the new year.

1. Video — If a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is even more valuable yet! Video in all forms is increasingly popular; corporate videos, videoconferencing, and how-to demonstrations are becoming commonplace. Additionally, videos are more versatile than ever before. The ability to host them on your website or sites like YouTube, share them on social media sites, and include them through links in your emails and newsletters makes them a handy marketing tool.
2. LinkedIn — This social networking site has moved ahead of Twitter in the B2B marketing world. If your company wants to use only one social media platform, then LinkedIn is the place to be.
3. Evolution of the social business — Marketing officers are beginning to see the value of integrating the social media strategy companywide. Social media shouldn’t be siloed; organizations get real value from letting employees be brand ambassadors and engage in conversations with prospects. Not only does this method benefit customers, but it also improves employee morale and engagement.
4. Targeted strategy — Instead of blindly posting content on multiple outlets and hoping it gets found, marketing professionals are fine-tuning their approach. As the clamor for demonstrable ROI grows louder, content marketers are doing more testing and narrowing their focus to the outlets that produce results.
5. Publishing model — Producing blogs, articles, white papers, and case studies requires a different approach than traditional marketing. Content development is more like publishing than advertising and needs skillsets tailored to writing and effective communication.
6. Customer-centric marketing — Customers and prospects are a savvy bunch, and if they’re researching a product or service, they need concrete information, not solely promotional material. If content is about your company, they’ll skip it and move on. Instead, content marketing should be about them and solutions to their problems. Every piece of content should have value for your targeted audience.
7. Responsive websites — People read email, access websites, and check social media sites from myriad mobile devices. Every website must be readable on any size screen and resize automatically. Mobile or nothing: That’s just the way it is.

Keep your eyes open to these content marketing trends. The companies that put customers first and ask for input companywide will be the success stories of 2013