Online content: Your shot at success

It was 2013 when I came across my first Ali Official video on YouTube. I remember combing through Facebook and YouTube for more videos of his because I was so enchanted by them. I found myself going back to his channel over and over again every week. That was when I first got acquainted with the world of online video content.

Fast forward to 2018. Now, we can find content all over the internet. Marketers are now using memes, GIFs, and podcasts to advertise their products. Starting from using memes about a hotel’s absurd valentine’s day offer to doing product placements in an influencer’s Instagram feed, brands are everywhere. Even this article is doing content marketing for all the brands I mention here – but this isn’t sponsored, I promise!

However, a trend that I’ve seen develop over the years is how content marketing alongside revolutionizing the promotion of brands has opened a type of rabbit hole, that transports people to a wonderland full of opportunities in various fields.

Start small, go big!

Online content creators and influencers who began their journey from a simple personal Instagram handle or YouTube channel, are now getting opportunities from different related industries. Makeup brands that only worked with Hollywood starlets once upon a time are now collaborating with freelance YouTubers. Brands like ColourPop Cosmetics and Morphe Cosmetics have already collaborated with the likes of Kathleenlights and Jaclyn Hill to not only promote their products but also develop new lines of makeup products. This, in turn, is allowing these influencers to get exposure to the makeup industry. It’s helping them build the right connections and it’s also allowing them to get their name out in the industry. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly easy for them to get into the business and create their own brand in the future.

In India, YouTubers and influencers are all over the place. Content marketing is reaching new heights with channels like ScoopWhoop, iDiva, and Filter Copy, and the people working in these channels are becoming increasingly popular. A fine example of this could be the story of actress Mithila Palkar. She started as an actor for a web series for Filter Copy and now, she has her own show called Little Things on Netflix. I wouldn’t be too surprised if I see her breaking Bollywood box office records soon.

How are we responding to content marketing?

If we look closely at home, i.e. Bangladesh, we can see that the phenomenon that is content marketing, has bled into its marketing scene and its benefits are as far-reaching as they can get. What used to initially be a weapon of digital marketing agencies only, has now become something even small facebook businesses are using. Apparel stores like Blu & Maron, Gorur Ghash, which rely heavily on just social media marketing- because of the nature of their business, are regularly collaborating with influencers like Sunehra Tasnim, Tasmeem Auvro, and MinimalMudassir to promote their products. Alongside helping the brands, it’s also opening career opportunities in fields such as modeling for young people with a knack for social media. Ahmed Anik Mudassir (MinimalMudassir) for example, began his career as an influencer on his personal social media accounts. Today, he works for big brands like Taaga, Noir, and Zurhem as a model. Many other influencers have found work in various industries despite their humble beginnings and it’s expected that this trend will persist in the years to come.

“Content” be it video or static has created a revolution. In today’s day and age, where people are glued to their phone screens, alongside disrupting the marketing scene, content is gradually changing how things happen in other related industries. It will be quite exciting to see how things play out in the future and how far-reaching the effects of content actually are.