Automated, generalized messages don't have the impact they used to.

People change channels when commercials appear, no one answers a call from a telemarketer, and automated emails don't get opened.

The old way of marketing is out, and personalized, compelling content in context is in, in a big way. 

Over the next year, this marketing trend is going to continue to grow.

Here are the top 4 content marketing trends that will emerge and thrive in 2014.

The Trendiest Trend

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Content marketing is expected to grow-- and grow some more in 2014. The idea of attracting your target audience with compelling content is not a new idea. Yet most businesses still cannot define exactly what content marketing is.

And yes, content marketing is far more than just churning out content.

It's becoming friends with your customers by attracting them with inspiring, educational information when they want it. It's about sending personalized content that matters to them, conversing with them about it, and slowly converting them to customers by earning their trust.

In the upcoming fiscal year, content marketing will be on the tip of business owners' tongues. This will be the area of marketing strategies that will grow in importance in 2014.

Geo-Great

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One of the key tenets of content marketing is that it's personalized for each reader. Emails are segmented for those with different ages and interests. In 2014, geographic location will play a big role too.

Yes, there are already geo-caching apps, but in 2014, they're really going to take off, for small garden businesses and industry leaders alike.

In 2014, as daily deals decline in popularity, geo-deals will make their way in.

Flash sales for specific store over-stock will be hot as will geo-deals for e-commerce sites.

Make it Mobile

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In case you haven't noticed, desktops are out.

People are now reading emails, websites, and e-books on the go. Over the next two years, mobile use will trump the traditional desktop.

Content that can be read on e-readers, tablets, and smartphones will be increasingly in demand in 2014.

What that means for your garden business is that if your content, blog, emails, and website are not optimized for mobile devices, then your readers will exit out--and likely not tune back in.

Also, since the screens are smaller, big lengthy text driven posts will not perform nearly as well as to the point, visually driven articles.

Easy, Peasy Content

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As content marketing continues to grow, businesses will be looking for easy ways to create the many e-books, landing pages, press releases, blog posts, and podcasts that are expected of them.

Bad news though, there's no easy way to create high-quality content that resonates.

Content marketing is about creating connections with your audience. That means your content has to be personal and your social media posts need to be individualized.

When it comes down to it, there's no way to create compelling content at the drop of a hat. You can implement tips to make your content better in less than 10 minutes though.

After all, creating blanketing, low-quality content is the problem content marketing is trying to overcome.

Content Marketing is just One Trend Emerging in 2014.

Discover Garden, Home, and Lifestyle Trends in the 2014 Garden Trends Report Below.

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