BuzzFeed teamed up with WPP to form a content marketing behemoth this year, as native content got more sophisticated. With Facebook and Twitter becoming key news sources and brands becoming content factories, traditional media giants are worried. As part of our review of the year, we look back at the key trends that shaped content marketing in 2015, including the rise of streaming sticks, paywall U-turns and the secrets to clickbait success.
Key trends to check your 2016 plans against:
Biggest 10 headlines of the year:
BuzzFeed strikes global ad deal with WPP
BuzzFeed has struck a partnership with WPP, in a deal that will give Martin Sorrel’s ad access to its proprietary data platform for tracking social content.
Time watching video on digital screens ‘now matches TV’
Multiscreen users spend the same amount of time viewing video on TV as they do on digital platforms globally according to new figures.
L’Oreal creates in-house ‘content factory’ for brands
L’Oreal is stepping up production of its own content, launching a new “content factory” for all of the 35 brands in L’Oréal’s Canadian portfolio, with plans to take the project global.
Rise of streaming sticks: Amazon Fire stick, Chromecast and Roku sales soar
Amazon’s Fire TV stick is leading the pack of newly popular streaming TV devices, as more people look for simple and convenient ways of accessing smart TV features, according to new data.
Facebook now drives more traffic to media sites than Google
Facebook is starting to drive more traffic to digital media websites than Google, as social media starts to rival search as a web discovery tool, according to new figures.
Facebook and Twitter becoming key news sources in US
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Twitter and Facebook users in the US social are getting their news from these services, according to new research.
BuzzFeed’s top 30 phrases for Facebook shares
When it comes to online content and storytelling, there are few sites as savvy as BuzzFeed. New research uncovers the phrases that generate the most amount of shares for the social news site.
Alibaba buys ‘Chinese YouTube’ for $3.7bn
Ecommerce giant Alibaba has bought the remaining shares of China’s popular online video site, Youku Tudou, in an all-cash transaction estimated to be worth some $3.7bn.
The Sun to scrap website paywall
The Sun will scrap the paywall on its website just over two years after it was introduced, after data indicated it had become the least visited UK national newspaper website.
A day in the life of a YouTube star: Film sheds light on ‘Internet famous’
What is it like to be ‘YouTube Famous’? A new documentary, dubbed The Creators, takes a look behind the scenes of some of the most influential Vloggers in the UK today.
Watch the 30 minute film here: