As part of this, one of the biggest opportunities for marketing associations, and the wider marketing sector, was recognised as being that of content.

The importance of the role of content in engaging with existing and new customers has been on the rise for a number of years now, and this doesn’t look set to abate any time soon.

Coupled with developments in technology and innovative content mediums, 2018 is set to witness an unprecedented rise in the deployment of content.

As the representative bodies of the marketing sector in their respective countries, it is the job of marketing associations to ensure that they too embrace the content trend.

The first step in this process is to develop a content strategy. Not only this, it’s important to keep abreast of the latest developments in technology driven content consumption.

Researching target audiences will ensure that any strategy implemented is relevant and leads to the desired results – whether conversion or retention of new members, or increased brand engagement.

Commenting at our annual forum in Hamburg, EMC Board Member, Prof. Ralf Strauss, President of DMV – the German Marketing Association, said:

Once you understand who you want to speak to, make sure that you’re geared up to deliver content in the way your audiences want – whether that’s through more use of augmented reality or more user-generated content to engender an increased sense of authenticity, for example.

Above all, it shouldn’t be content for content’s sake – how relevant is it?

The trend for hyper-personalised content will continue, so how can your organisation react to this – indeed, is your CRM system even geared up to?

If not, this opens up another opportunity to improve the delivery of both your wider marketing strategy, as well as your content.

How can you better leverage photo and video to engage with your audiences? 2018 is expected to see the continued rise of Instagram and Pinterest, so how could your content strategy take advantage of this?

Content and technology are the king and queen of marketing but getting the content basics right is as vital as developing new content tactics.

In a world where most people consume their content via their mobiles, ensuring that your website and content is optimised for mobile consumption represents a quick win.

What is more, there is still a place for the traditional PR campaign, but think about how you can better leverage research and statistics to develop effective thought leadership campaigns, or white papers with which you can lobby.

Ultimately, it’s about being proactive and planning a content strategy that caters for your audiences and the latest technological developments but is flexible enough to react to any opportunities that come your way.

And critically, as any marketer knows, it’s vital to be able to evaluate what the success of your content strategy looks like, so that you can build on and amend your strategy as time goes on.