Content marketing is a hot topic. As we’ve discussed before on the News360 blog, this genre of marketing is so new that there is a debate over exactly what it entails. At the most basic level, experts and brands both agree that content marketing is branded content that takes the form as the organic content around it.

They are the giants of the tech world, social networks that dominate web traffic and eyeballs all over the world. But though they started humbly as free destinations for users to gather and connect, time and the almighty dollar has transformed them into real businesses.

Spring is here and that can only mean one thing: things are heating up in the world of content marketing. On the News360 blog this week we shared an image that should be in every digital marketer’s toolkit. The Periodic Table of Content Marketing is an awesome infographic that is a one-stop shop for tips on developing content strategy, formating and optimizing content, platforms, sharing triggers and goals. Definitely a page to keep bookmarked!

Chris Lake at Econsultancy has created this great image outlining the definitive guide to content marketing. Called The Periodic Table of Content Marketing, the infographic covers everything your team needs to know for developing a solid content strategy, including format, platform, sharing triggers, and goals.

This was a full week for the News360 blog. First, we dove into research from the Pew Journalism Project that showed content shared on social media is unlikely to turn readers into devoted followers of a publication. The research confirmed what we’ve known all along: that socially shared content can generate a quick hit, but won’t help publishers develop a consistent following.

The rise in content marketing efforts by brands has been dramatic. CMOs and marketing leaders have recognized that strategies beyond traditional advertising and media are critical to building customer awareness, and are utilizing content programs as a new way to reach potential customers. It’s not just consumer brands that have been bit by the content bug. Enterprise organizations have created resources and web properties to engage their customers with more than just traditional sales-focused rhetoric.

The Guardian published a compelling new entry into the discussion around the evolving relationship between sponsored content and high-end news publishers today. Is the entry of highly-respected newspapers like the Times, the Washington Post, as well as the Guardian itself ultimately a good or bad thing for publishers and brands, the author asks.

Some interesting stats released by the Pew Research Journalism Project make a strong case for why sharing content through an aggregator like News360 may be in the best interest of brands and publishers.

Here at News360, we specialize in connecting brands with the specific audience that they are trying to reach. We’ve been fortunate to have worked with some outstanding companies who are leveraging content in progressive ways to deliver their marketing messages to our audience of over 4 million readers. Whether you call it native advertising or content marketing, spreading content like this still a relatively new endeavor for brands. We wanted to offer some simple tips for optimizing your brand’s sponsored content on platforms like News360.

Readers and marketers have been inundated for years with jargon-y terms for new ways of reaching consumers. Native advertising, native content, branded content, brand journalism and content marketing are some of the many ways publishers and marketers are referring to these offerings.